The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) launched a national media campaign to educate the public and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The campaign, titled “Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It,” includes English, Spanish, and Chinese radio and print public service advertisements (PSAs) that feature examples of actions which violate the Fair Housing Act and let the public know what to do if they experience housing discrimination.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has launched the first housing discrimination mobile application (app) for iPhone and iPad. Developed by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and HP, the app uses the latest technology to provide the public with a quick and easy way to learn about their housing rights and to file housing discrimination complaints, and inform the housing industry about its responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it is issuing a final rule to formalize the national standard for determining whether a housing practice violates the Fair Housing Act as the result of discriminatory effect. “Through the issuance of this Rule, HUD is reaffirming its commitment to enforcing the Fair Housing Act in a consistent and uniform manner,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “This will ensure the continued strength of one of the most important tools for exposing and ending housing discrimination.”Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it has reached an Agreement with PNC Mortgage in Trumbull, CT, settling allegations that the lender violated the Fair Housing Act by requiring a home loan applicant on paid maternity leave to return to work before the lender would approve a home loan. PNC Mortgage is a division of Virginia-based PNC Bank National Association.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced that Virginia Realty Company of Tidewater Inc., a property management company based in Virginia Beach, Va., will pay $82,500 to settle allegations that it refused to allow a Hispanic woman to apply for an apartment because she did not speak fluent English.Click to continue

According to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Morgan Stanley discriminated against black homeowners and violated federal civil rights laws by providing strong incentives to a sub-prime lender to originate mortgages that were likely to be foreclosed on. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, is the first that connects racial discrimination to the securitization of mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which were sold to institutional investors and pension funds.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that Luther Burbank Savings will invest $2 million in California communities and take other steps as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, was filed in conjunction with the Justice Department’s complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced that Bank of America has agreed to pay up to $161,180 to settle allegations that one of the bank’s San Jose, Calif. branches refused to refinance the mortgage of an Irvine, Calif. woman because she was on maternity leave.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is charging Bank of America with discriminating against homebuyers with disabilities.Click to continue

In an effort to end discriminatory treatment African-Americans and other minorities, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) have announced a new partnership to work together to promote fair housing in minority communities. In Fiscal Year 2010, 27.8 percent (2,820) of the 10,157 fair housing complaints HUD and its fair housing partner agencies received alleged race discrimination against blacks.Click to continue