When Linda Jenkins became a participant in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, she was excited to have the income necessary to move herself and her two children to a quiet North Buffalo neighborhood. She did not expect that she would be involved in not one but two housing discrimination cases before her search was over.
When Ms. Jenkins saw an ad in Artvoice placed by Action Realty for affordable three bedroom apartments in the North Buffalo area, she called expecting to make an appointment to view the units. Instead, after ascertaining that Ms. Jenkins would be renting the apartment with her two children, the man who answered the phone reportedly informed her that the landlord did not intend to rent to anyone with children. He then said that there might be other apartments available and offered to call her when they became available. She never heard from him again and believed he never called her because he identified her by her voice as African American.
The same day, she called for another apartment on the same street. After Ms. Jenkins inquired about the apartment, the woman who answered the phone asked her who would be occupying the unit. Ms. Jenkins answered that it would be for herself and her children and the woman said, “I don’t want to rent to anybody who has kids” and hung up the phone.
Later that same day, Ms. Jenkins called Housing Opportunities Made Equal. HOME’s investigation revealed evidence discrimination on the basis of race and the presence of children. Since both are violations of federal fair housing law, HOME assisted Ms. Jenkins to file complaints with the U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HOME also filed a parallel complaint against Action Realty on behalf of its nearly 500 members.
Without any admission of wrongdoing, the cases against the two respondents have been settled for a total of $6,550. Additionally, the settlement with Action Realty requires all employees to attend fair housing training, and that the agency use the fair housing logo in all future advertisements.
