Meet Peter Saudek, the Fair Housing Center’s Senior Investigations Coordinator. Peter is often the first person our clients talk to when seeking assistance, and he is always willing to work to help them resolve the issues they are facing. Check out our interview with Peter to learn more.
What brought you to the Fair Housing Center?
I wanted to join a civil rights organization and work to reduce harm among individuals and communities around Northeast Ohio.
How long have you worked here?
Going on 3 years! Don’t know how that happened…
Can you briefly describe your role at the Fair Housing Center?
As Senior Investigations Coordinator, I investigate complaints of housing discrimination, I work with tenants and housing providers to resolve fair housing disputes, and assist tenants in the complaint process through direct advocacy and education.
What is your favorite part of your job?
It’s deeply moving to see a case all the way through, to work with someone experiencing housing discrimination and often housing insecurity, and to assist them in resolving the issue or bringing justice to the charging party. It is humbling to work with folks from every walk of life and to learn from each of them and every new complaint that’s called in to our office.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to play music, be outside, and away from screens when possible. Other than that, I coach a youth basketball team, and dog-sit as time allows.
If you could choose one fair housing issue that you wish people knew more about, what would it be?
I wish source of income-based discrimination were a more widely discussed issue, which is essentially when someone is denied housing due to their source of income (i.e. Section 8 or SSDI) despite meeting the income requirements of the place they’re applying to. I also think we should talk more about HUD’s effort to address the racial justice issue of denying applicants based on criminal backgrounds, as People of Color are disproportionately impacted by our criminal justice system and thus also disproportionately barred from housing. These two issues deny hundreds of thousands of people from obtaining housing.
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