Fair Housing Post-Katrina

Article submitted by Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center (GCFHC). For more information please contact GCFHC at 228-396-4008 or toll free at 1-877-399-4008.

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on seven protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, families with children, and disability. The Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center (GCFHC) is dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination and furthering equal housing opportunities through education, outreach, advocacy, and enforcement of fair housing laws. To enforce fair housing laws, GCFHC takes fair housing complaints from individuals. Complaints are researched and investigated and clients are assisted in finding the best remedies to their fair housing issues. The Center has helped hundreds of people with their inquiries and housing discrimination complaints during its three years of operation.

GCFHC is well known across the Gulf Coast for its two groundbreaking rental housing investigations. The first investigation in 2003 uncovered discrimination against African Americans and families with children in 70% of the rental housing tested. The second investigation in 2004 tested housing complexes for their level of handicap accessibility - only 25% of complexes complied with the law.

Now with an extremely limited housing market due to Hurricane Katrina, we anticipate even more violations of the Fair Housing Act. Discrimination is not always easy to spot. This is why we encourage anyone who feels they may have been a victim of housing discrimination to call us today.

In an effort to empower Gulf Coast citizens age 50 and older to recognize and report housing discrimination, GCFHC will be hosting several trainings this year to discuss fair housing issues affecting Seniors such as predatory lending, reasonable accommodations and modifications, and design and construction requirements. These trainings will be funded by the AARP Foundation.