Fair Housing Update: July 2006

Washington State
FAIR HOUSING UPDATE

Volume 11, Issue 2

July 2006

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Articles in this issue:

Fair Housing Center of Washington Announces a Special Event

FHC of Washington and FHC of Oregon Announce Comprehensive Settlement of Insurance Discrimination Lawsuit Involving Western World Insurance Company
$2 million settlement in Western World Insurance Company housing discrimination case in Washington and Oregon.

The Moral of the Story: Three tales hold lessons in fair housing
A good story usually comes with a moral. In these three tales, the fair housing lessons are real, and if you're a manager, they could even prove useful.

King County Fair Housing Ordinance Amended
On March 27, 2006, the Metropolitan King County Council passed Ordinance 15399, standardizing the four King County civil rights ordinances, and increasing antidiscrimination protections for renters and home buyers in unincorporated King County. The Ordinance became effective on April 16.

Washington State Human Rights Commission Announces New Jurisdiction
WSHRC announces the expansion of civil rights in the State of Washington. Governor Chris Gregoire signed ESHB 2661 into law, making sexual orientation, including gender identity, a protected class in our state, effective as of June 7, 2006.

How to Convert into "Housing for Older Persons"
The HOPA regulations established a transition period for existing communities or faciilties to become housing for older persons, which expired on May 3, 2000. There are now two ways to establish housing for older persons — conversion and new construction.

Questions & Answers Column

Julie White is interested in renting a house from David Haskins, who is concerned about maintenance around the place. David asks if she has a man around to assist her with yard upkeep and repairs. Is this discriminatory?

Larry Green, who is a wheelchair user, is charged $300 for the damage deposit on his new apartment. A few weeks later, he learns that another new tenant who has no disability was charged $200 for a damage deposit. Is this discrimination?

Police were called to Cheryl Anderson's apartment when her live-in partner beat her up. Cheryl immediately obtained a court order to prevent her partner from returning and let the housing provider know about it. The housing provider decided to enforce the "zero-tolerance no violence" policy and asked all occupants of her unit to vacate. Is this discriminatory?

Tenant Winton has complained that her neighbor has harassed her and her children. What should management do?

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ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

The Washington State Fair Housing Update is a quarterly publication of Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) Agencies and non-profit fair housing organizations. For more information, contact us:

U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development
206-220-5170 / 1-800-877-0246 / TTY 206-220-5185 / Website: www.hud.gov/offices/fheo

Washington State Human Rights Commission
360-753-6770 / 1-800-233-3247 / TTY 1-800-300-7525 / Website: www.hum.wa.gov

King County Office of Civil Rights
206-296-7592 / TTY 206-296-7596 / Website: www.metrokc.gov/dias/ocre

Seattle Office for Civil Rights
206-684-4500 / TTY 206-684-4503 / Website: www.cityofseattle.net/civilrights

Tacoma Human Rights & Human Services Department
253-591-5151 / TTY 253-591-5153 / Website: www.cityoftacoma.org/HRHS

Fair Housing Center of Washington
253-274-9523 / 1-888-766-8800 / TTY 253-274-9523 / Website: www.fhcwashington.org

Northwest Fair Housing Alliance (Spokane)
509-325-2665 / 1-800-200-FAIR (3247) / Website: www.nwfairhouse.org

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Updated: July 31, 2006