Report on Hate Bias in Maryland

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Join us at our LIVE forum that brings together law enforcement and the community to improve hate bias reporting. To register, click on the picture above or click HERE. Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

 Housing Discrimination on Basis of Criminal History Outlawed

August 15, 2023

2-Year Evaluation Released of Benefits of Cook County, Illinois, Ban of Housing Discrimination Based on Criminal History In 2019, Cook County enacted the Just Housing Amendment (JHA) to ensure equitable housing access for individuals with criminal records. The JHA thus helps these individuals obtain safe, stable, and affordable housing. The ordinance prohibits people who are selling or leasing housing units from soliciting criminal background information until an applicant has been determined to be otherwise qualified to occupy a residence. The Cook County Commission on Human Rights (CCCHR), which is responsible for protecting county residents and workers from discrimination and wage theft, subsequently amended its rules and regulations to include interpretive rules for JHA. Managed by the Cook County Commission on Human Rights (CCCHR), JHA employs a dual-phase screening process: applicants are initially evaluated based on non-criminal criteria, followed by a comprehensive criminal background check considering offense details and rehabilitation efforts. The CCCHR's commitment to fostering fairness is demonstrated by their proactive policy approach and continued assessments of the JHA's effectiveness. Learn more about how CCCHR enforces the JHA here. As part of its duties, CCCHR has prepared two annual evaluations of JHA and the commission’s interpretive rules. Enforcement data from the most recent evaluation in 2022 indicate that CCCHR has received a total of 38 complaints related to JHA violations. Of these complaints, 26 concerned improper denials based on criminal conviction history, and 12 concerned discriminatory advertisements that included illegal wording such as “no felons” and “no convicted drug dealers.” Twenty-seven of the complaints have been closed. Of the closed cases, 18 resulted in monetary awards totaling approximately $31,000 as well as training for housing providers, 2 cases resulted in the complainant being rehoused, and 7 complaints were withdrawn. The 2022 report also describes CCCHR’s outreach, training, and intragovernmental coordination meetings. One significant effort during the previous year was CCCHR’s incorporation of the two-step process into software that small landlords commonly use for applicant screening. With the updated software, CCCHR estimates that more than 7,000 housing applications per month will undergo JHA-compliant screening. Visit HUD User’s RBC In Depth page to learn more about Cook County's Just Housing Amendment, as well as other plans and initiatives that state and local governments have enacted to reduce impediments to affordable housing. ***** Sources: U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), HUD User. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/rbc/indepth.html. https://www.cookcountyil.gov/content/just-housing-amendment-human-rights-ordinance.

 Maryland Equity & Leadership Training Program

MEILP Program STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!!! The Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program (MEILP) is offered jointly by the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at The University of Baltimore and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. MEILP It is ideal for experienced and developing professionals from public, nonprofit, and private organizations who want to design, lead, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in their organizations. The program is: committed to helping participants and their organizations become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive combines asynchronous and live online instruction, with peer group interaction comprehensive and academically grounded job relevant and requires participants to complete a  project focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion 8 weeks in length Learn More and Apply Online http://meilp.ubalt.edu   Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

Stay Connected with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights

 Free Fair Housing Training on July 24th

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Learn how the ADA governs the rights of persons who require a service animal and how the public should interact with service animals.  To register for this forum, click on the image above or click HERE​.   Victim of Discrimination? Training & Partnerships HOME      ABOUT MCCR      SERVICES      PUBLICATIONS      EVENTS      PRESS      CONTACT US

Stay Connected with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights

 Fair Housing Enforcement News:

HUD CHARGES CALIFORNIA LANDLORD WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has charged the owner, property manager, and maintenance worker of a single-family property in Bakersfield, California, with sexually harassing a female tenant and retaliating against her when she complained about it, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Read HUD’s Charge. The Act prohibits housing providers from discriminating because of sex, including sexual harassment - unwelcome sexual advances and comments, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical behavior that is sexual in nature.

HUD’s Charge of Discrimination alleges that the maintenance worker harassed the tenant because of her sex, including daily sending her graphic sexual text messages and groping her in her home. After the tenant told him that the conduct was unwelcome and complained to the property manager, saying she planned to go to the police, the landlord allegedly refused to make critical repairs to her heating appliance, leaving her without heat and gas for a month. The tenant's daughter fell ill from the lack of heat. As the tenant was vacating her home, the landlord changed the lock on her door to prevent her from getting her belongings and refused to return her security deposit.

A U. S. Administrative Law Judge will hear HUD’s charge unless any party elects to have the case heard in federal district court. If an administrative law judge finds, after a hearing, that discrimination has occurred, the judge may award damages to the tenant for losses as a result of the discrimination. The judge may also order injunctive relief and other equitable relief, to deter further discrimination, as well as payment of attorney fees. The judge also may impose civil penalties. If the federal court hears the case, the judge may also award punitive damages.

People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice) 800-927-9275 (TTY) or the Department of Justice at (800) 896-7743 or 202-514-4713. Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing and www.justice.gov.

Read the July 11, 2023 HUD release.