Starting this month, Cleveland landlords are being required to test their homes for lead. Rental property owners in the City must obtain a Lead Safe Certification to prove that their units are safe from lead hazards. This comes after Cleveland City Council passed a new lead-safe ordinance, making lead safety a priority in the City. […]
The City of Cleveland is closer than ever to protecting renters from discrimination based on their source of income, or SOI. City Council may soon consider amending Cleveland’s fair housing law to ban landlords from rejecting tenants simply because they use a housing voucher to pay rent. Councilman Kerry McCormack says he expects to introduce Cleveland’s […]
Following an Executive Order from the Biden Administration, HUD will now enforce the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. For the first time in U.S. history, LGBTQ+ Americans will now receive equal protection under the federal Fair Housing Act. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the number of renters behind on rent continues to rise. And so does the dire need for federal assistance. To support those struggling, the federal government recently passed a $2.3 trillion relief package. This support could help struggling renters remain in their housing — at least for a little longer. […]
The presidential administration and those appointed to cabinet positions—particularly the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development—have a direct impact on fair housing work. And the recent news that Northeast Ohio’s own Rep. Marcia Fudge has been nominated to lead HUD has a lot of people buzzing about housing. As President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect […]
Most landlords set their rent due date for the first of the month. But for tenants who receive disability benefits, making rent on time can be hard. That’s because benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) often arrive after the first of the month. Thanks to fair housing laws, help […]
If you are currently out of work and struggling to pay your rent, you are not alone. In the past six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, rack up expensive medical bills, and face financial insecurity, all of which are making it more and more difficult for renters […]
BEDFORD – The City of Bedford agreed to repeal its Criminal Activity Nuisance Ordinance (CANO) and pay a settlement amount of $350,000 as a result of litigation brought by the ACLU, the ACLU of Ohio and The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland on behalf of Beverley Somai, a Bedford resident, and the Fair Housing Center […]
The Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research is a Cleveland based not for profit fair housing agency that promotes equal housing opportunities and positive race relations in Northeast Ohio. For over 35 years, The Fair Housing Center has been working to protect and expand fair housing rights, eliminate housing discrimination, and promote integrated communities. […]
ALEXANDER CHAVERS, GUEST BLOGGER Rothstein’s “The Color of Law” is a book that forces us to take a long look at the history of housing segregation in America. From private realtors to neighborhood councils, to public works projects and even legislation, many factors have helped to continue the practice of dividing cities based on black […]
EMILY MARTIN, COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH SPECIALIST ANDREW ENGLISH, JR. GUEST BLOGGER John Reitano’s What if the Zebras Lost Their Stripes? allows kids to explore racial diversity by imagining what might happen if zebras lost their stripes, resulting in some animals becoming all-black and others all-white. Reitano asks, “What if the Zebras lost their stripes, and […]
LAUREN AMMERMAN, GUEST BLOGGER Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Evicted is an excellent place to start for any reader who wants to delve into the world of fair housing research. An approachable read, Evicted follows individuals and families in some of Milwaukee’s low-income neighborhoods. The book represents both landlord and tenant perspectives, and readers get to […]
EMILY MARTIN, COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH SPECIALIST ANDREW ENGLISH, JR. GUEST BLOGGER Todd Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different offers young readers affirmation of their differences, as it cleverly celebrates diversity in all its forms. This colorful picture book encourages early literacy, enhances emotional development, celebrates multiculturalism, and promotes character growth. It’s Okay to Be Different […]
Each April, National Fair Housing Month is celebrated to reaffirm our commitment to ending housing discrimination and commemorate the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act in 1968, which prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability. At the Fair […]
We interviewed Christopher Hamm, Fair Housing Center Board Member, to learn more about him and his commitment to fair housing. Christopher told us his belief in the importance of fair housing advocacy motivates him to stay involved with our organization’s work. Check out our Q&A with Christopher below!
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