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| WA State FAIR HOUSING UPDATE: January 2006 |
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OF SOUTH PUGET SOUND The turning of the year always provides an opportunity to look back at recent accomplishments and forward to new opportunities. In September, the Fair Housing Center celebrated our receipt of a Community Services Award from the Pierce County Department of Community Services. These awards are presented annually to organizations which have "provided outstanding partnerships to the Department over the past year." We were delighted to receive this recognition from Pierce County, especially during the celebration of our tenth year anniversary. November marked the settlement of an important familial status case brought by the Fair Housing Center against the Hillcrest Apartments in Longview Washington. Testing by the agency revealed a number of discriminatory practices towards families with children, including steering to a designated section of the complex, overly restrictive occupancy standards and the provision of different information to families with children regarding such items as deposits, specials and amenities. In the settlement negotiated by the Washington State Human Rights Commission, the Respondents in the case agreed to fair housing training for all parties responsible for rental decisions within their agency, posting of the WSHRC fair housing poster at the property, use of the fair housing logo and statement of compliance with fair housing in all newly printed materials, and payment of $3398 in damages to the Fair Housing Center. Finally, as we look forward to 2006, the agency will be changing its name to the Fair Housing Center of Washington, a name that more accurately reflects our area of service of Western and Central Washington. Check us out at our new website at www.fhcwashington.org. KCOCR Fair Housing Home Page Your comments about this web site Updated: Jan. 17, 2006 King County | DES | OCR | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute
endorsements by King County. |