Jose knows someone at the HUD office in Raleigh, and today I talked with two people in the national office. They said that we have grounds for filling a report.. Here is the exact wording -
"Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability is illegal by federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint."
Both people with whom I spoke interpreted "national origins" to mean that non-U.S. citizens cannot be discriminated against.
I propose that we have another meeting -- after Jose talks with the person in Raleigh, and after Beto and Alex collect documentation on discrimination. Then we consider filing complaints against the owners of apartment complexes.
Last week some concerned citizens (copied here) formed a group and many us met on Friday. Our concerns are broad, but they all pertain to what appears to be a pattern of discrimination by apartment complexes - doing away with Section 8 and requiring proof of citizenship. Besides that, in spite of a poor economy, our survey indicates that all apartment complexes have raised their rents.
The group charged me with writing to you about proof of citizenship. HUD, as far as I can tell, is opposed to asking for such proof, and the Fair Housing Act stresses that citizenship status is not a basis for excluding any renter.
http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Immigration_Discrimination_FAQ_ENG.pdf
Thanks, Mark Chilton, and Mark Dorosin, we would be happy to meet with you about this or a range of concerns we have about housing & apt complexes. Perhaps also inviting your counterpart in Chapel Hill?
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