HUD charges Atlanta area real estate agent and company with racial steering in the sale of homesMortgagePress.comHUD, racial steering, home sales, Rodney Foreman, Fair Housing Act, National Fair Housing Alliance, Kim Kendrick
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has
announced that it has charged Rodney Foreman, a real estate agent
formerly employed by Coldwell Banker-Joe T. Lane Realty Inc., in
Jonesboro, Ga., with racial steering in the sale of homes. HUD's
investigation found that Foreman steered whites and
African-Americans posing as homebuyers to different neighborhoods
based on their race. HUD has also charged Coldwell Banker-Joe T.
Lane Realty Inc., with violations of the Fair Housing Act based on
the discriminatory actions of Foreman.
Foreman's discriminatory actions were exposed during undercover
testing by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), a fair
housing organization with 20 years of experience in fair housing
testing. NFHA sent white and African-American testers to Coldwell
Banker-Joe T. Lane Realty Inc., posing as potential homebuyers
looking to relocate to the Atlanta area.
Foreman allegedly refused to show white testers homes in
African-American neighborhoods and made derogatory statements about
black residents. Foreman allegedly told one of the white testers
that he had two sets of listings-one for white homebuyers and
another for African-Americans.
While investigating the NFHA claims, HUD filed its own complaint
to ensure HUD's ability to obtain relief for victims who have not
been identified.
"Since the passage of the Fair Housing Act 40 years ago, one of
the highest priorities of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development has been to combat housing discrimination," said Kim
Kendrick, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal
Opportunity. "In the 21st century, steering should be something of
the past. This case shows why HUD's enforcement actions are crucial
to eliminate housing discrimination."
The HUD charge will be heard by a United States Administrative
Law Judge unless any party to the charge elects to have the case
heard in federal district court. If an administrative law judge
finds after a hearing that discrimination has occurred, the judge
may award damages to each complainant for actual loss as a result
of the discrimination, as well as damages for emotional distress,
humiliation, and loss of civil rights. The judge may also order
injunctive and other equitable relief to deter further
discrimination, as well as the payment of attorney fees. In
addition to the money damages payable to the complainant, the judge
may impose a civil penalty in order to vindicate the public
interest. In the event that one of the parties elects to proceed in
federal district court, punitive damages may also be awarded to a
prevailing complainant.
For more informaiton, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
