FCC Acts Against Race/Ethnic Discrimination in Advertising

On March 22nd, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) issued an ‘enforcement advisory’ that reminds broadcasters and advertisers that advertising contracts that contain ‘no urban/no Spanish’ clauses are illegal because they are discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity.

The so-called no-Spanish clause has meant approximately $200 million annual loss to those outlets. Read the FCC Press Release. Read the Hispanically Speaking News release.

HUD's Predatory Lending Info & Materials

The HUD website has some helpful information & materials about predatory lending here, but I will copy & paste them:

Protect yourself from predatory lenders: For information about loan fraud and advice about preventing it, see Don't Be A Victim of Loan Fraud.

Local information on predatory lending: Here are some Local Resources by state, that can help you avoid being a victim of predatory lending.

For FHA loans: For problems relating to origination, underwriting, or appraisals of FHA loans, contact the FHA Resource Center.

Avoiding foreclosure on an FHA loan: Visit the HUD National Servicing Center web page and have your FHA case number at hand. You will find your case number on the mortgage settlement statement.

Non-FHA mortgage loans: For complaints concerning practices which include disclosure of interest rates and finance charges (APR), prepayment penalties, credit life insurance, fraud, deception, etc. contact the appropriate agency from this list to complain about the mortgage lender or mortgage broker.

Lender threatening to foreclose or mortgage in default: HUD funds housing counseling agencies throughout the country. To find a housing counseling agency near you, call toll-free (800) 569-4287 immediately for free guidance or visit the web page.

Settlement Procedures: (FHA and non-FHA mortgages). Visit the RESPA web page for information on RESPA disclosure requirements such as the Good Faith Estimate, HUD-1 and escrow account statements, and how to file a complaint with your lender concerning the servicing of your loan.

If you are still unsure who can best help you, please let us know.

File a housing discrimination complaint: Discrimination in mortgage lending is prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity actively enforces those provisions of the law. Learn how the Fair Housing Act can help you fight predatory lending.

HUD will concentrate on National Origin Housing Discrimination in April

HUD will concentrate on National Origin discrimination in April. As part of its Fair Housing Month activities, HUD announced on April 11th it will "launch an effort to better address national origin based housing discrimination." The effort will consist of a national media campaign and various community discussions on rental practices to mortgage lending.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in rental, sales or home lending transactions based on a person's national origin. This includes discrimination based on a person's ancestry, country of birth outside the United States, and the language they speak. National origin discrimination often involves immigrants or non-English speaking individuals, but can also involve native-born U. S. citizens based on their family ancestry. This type of discrimination may also occur in conjunction with the other protections of the Fair Housing Act against race, color, religion, gender, disability, and family status discrimination.

HUD's first Immigrant Housing Conference, which will underline Fair Housing rights and responsibilities, will be in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 14.

HUD's Cityscape Tackles Homelessness

The latest issue of Cityscape, distributed by HUD's Office of Policy Development & Research, examines homelessness and the organizations that help the homeless. This Cityscape provides a snapshot of homelessness in America and represents outstanding HUD-sponsored research.

Beginning with this issue, Cityscape will also have reactions to the Symposium articles from foreign scholars of like issues. Suzanne Fitzpatrick of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Julie Christian of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom pointed to groundbreaking European analyses of housing and social inclusion.

Read the latest issue of Cityscape.

April is National Fair Housing Month!

Realtors® Committed to Fair Housing Throughout the Year

Apr 1st, 2011 by NAR

Washington, DC - April 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — The National Association of Realtors® will join Americans across the country as they honor Fair Housing Month this April. As the leading advocate for home ownership, NAR strongly supports the Fair Housing Act and believes that anyone who is able and willing to assume the responsibilities of owning a home should have the opportunity to pursue that dream.

States' Budget Woes Affect Those with Mental Disabilities

In this recession, in order to close historic budget gaps states have cut $2.1 billion from their mental health budgets in the last three fiscal years, according to a study from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors’ Research Institute. A new study from the National Alliance on Mental Illness finds that between fiscal years 2009 and 2011, over 12 states and the District of Columbia reduced their mental health budgets by more than 10 percent. The upcoming budgets, however, will be worse. Until this summer, federal stimulus money - which ends this summer - has put $103 billion into the states through Medicaid since 2009 - keeping state-run health insurance programs alive. Meanwhile, growing demands for help show few signs of abating, say mental health authorities. On top of this, there is more demand for the shrinking pool of public services because of unemployment and general economic malaise. "The safety net,” says Marylou Sudders, former Massachusetts commissioner for mental health, “is shredded.”

These cuts hurt those with mental disabilities worse than others. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, while ailments like depression occur in about one in four adults, 6% of the U.S. population has a serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) and mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada. People with severe mental illnesses are more likely to have low incomes because their education was interrupted by the disease, according to Elaine Alfano, deputy policy director for the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. Employers are hesitant to hire them and their treatment is expensive, so they cost governments dearly if they qualify for public support.

According to the state directors’ survey in fiscal 2010 and 2011, half the states reported reducing the number of hospital beds in state-run psychiatric hospitals. States have limited the funding they give to out-patient providers and have cut staff. One-third of states have reduced the number of people their programs serve.

Read the March 9, 2011 Center for Public Integrity article: http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/3006/.

Upcoming Calendar

April 8-9 - John Marshall Law School "Investigating and Resolving Fair Housing Cases" (Chicago, IL).


April 9 - Howard County Housing Fair - Howard County Housing will host the “Come Home to Howard County” Housing Fair on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane in Columbia. The event is free and open to the public. For registration: http://www.howardcountyhousing.com/2010/12/the-5th-annual-howard-county-housing-fair/.

April 11 - BNI's 2nd Annual Fair Housing & Landlord Tenant Boot Camp.

April 8 - Third Annual Veterans' Legal Assistance Conference - 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. University of Maryland School of Law, 500 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore 21202.


April 14 - 10th Annual Frederick County Fair Housing Conference. Location: The City of Frederick Municipal Annex Building located at 140 West Patrick Street. Sponsored by the Frederick County Fair Housing Commission and the Frederick County Association of Realtors. Info: Eileen Barnhard, Community Development Housing Financial Specialist for the City of Frederick at 301.600.2842 or ebarnhard@cityoffrederick.com.


April 26 - Baltimore County Human Relations Commission Fair Housing Conference, Randallstown, Maryland. Info: 410-887-5917.


June 4-7 - National Fair Housing Alliance National Conference (Washington, DC)


July 21-23 - Listening and Spoken Language Symposium - Thhe AG Bell 2011 Listening & Spoken Language Symposium will be held at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C.


September 9-10 - John Marshall Law School 2011 National Conference (Chicago, IL).