Longest-serving Dayton commissioner Dean Lovelace passes away

The board and staff of the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center mourn the death and celebrate the life of Dean Lovelace, a consummate public servant and community leader. Throughout his entire career, Dean was a stalwart fair housing advocate in the Miami Valley and beyond, opening the doors of equal housing opportunity for thousands.

In addition to his leadership as an elected official in the City of Dayton, and his career with the University of Dayton, Commissioner Lovelace was also a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Fair Housing Center. Throughout his career, he brought passion, personal integrity, care and kindness to everything he did, and he will be missed. We extend our condolences to all who knew and loved him.

Fair Housing Accessibility Design & Construction Training

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The Central Ohio Fair Housing Association invites you to a free* training on the Accessible Design and Construction Requirements of the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). This workshop will educate housing and construction professionals on the FHA’s technical requirements and HUD’s Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines and will promote compliance with those requirements.

This course has been approved for 6.0 HSW hours of continuing education by the Ohio Architects Board and the Ohio Landscape Architects Board. We are awaiting certification for 6.0 hours of continuing education credits for attorneys and real estate agents licensed in Ohio.

For more information or to register go to http://cofha.com/fhaccess/.

Fair Housing laws protect immigrants, refugees, and people of all religious faiths

MVFHC can help you

State and federal fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on national origin, religion, and ancestry. See our mission statement for a complete list of all the people protected from discrimination and to see the services available to assist those who experience discrimination.

Fair housing laws protect immigrants, refugees and people of all religious faiths.

Call Miami Valley Fair Housing Center (MVFHC) at 937-223-6035 if you think you have been the victim of housing discrimination because you are an immigrant or a refugee, because of where you are from, or because of your religious faith.

The fair housing laws protect you regardless of your immigration status.

It is illegal for landlords to treat you differently because of your immigration status, national origin, or religion. That means people involved in renting homes cannot:

• refuse to rent to you because you are an immigrant or refugee or because of your religious faith;
• refuse to rent to you because you are not from the United States;
• charge you more rent or a higher security deposit because of where you are from, your immigration status, or because of your religious faith;
• require you to get a co-signer because you are an immigrant, refugee or because of your religion;
• tell you not to cook food you like because of the smell;
• refuse to rent to you because you or some of your family members do not speak English;
• tell you that you must speak English when outside of your apartment;
• force you to choose an apartment near other people who are from the same country, speak the same language as you, or are of the same religion;
• enforce rules against you or your family because you are an immigrant or refugee or because of your religion but not enforce those rules against anyone else.

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It is illegal for landlords to ask you to identify your religion.

It is illegal for landlords to ask you questions about your immigration status because of how you look, talk or dress.

Some landlords, owners, real estate agents, etc., might ask if you are in the country legally, ask to see your green card or visa, or ask for your Social Security number. If you think that you are being asked about your immigration status because of where you are from, call MVFHC at 937-223-6035.

State and federal fair housing laws continue to protect you once you are living in your house or apartment. Landlords, owners, real estate agents, or anyone else may not:

• ask you to remove your head scarf, hijab, burka, keffiyeh, kippah, other religious clothing, or other religious symbol;
• evict you because of your religion, your immigration status, or your refugee status;
• threaten or harass you because of your religion, your immigration status, or your refugee status.

Thanks to the Connecticut Fair Housing Center for allowing us to use information and wording from their Know Your Rights page.

Harassment or threats include:

• threatening to report you to the police or immigration authorities because of your immigration status;
• saying you will be deported;
• telling you to go back to your own country;
• painting graffiti or writing on your home, including using slurs or threats to harm you or your family if you do not move out;
• yelling racial, ethnic, or religious slurs at you and your family;
• blocking access to your home, your belongings, or property amenities (like a swimming pool or laundry area).

You are also protected if you are buying a home or attempting to get a mortgage. If you believe you are being prevented from buying a home or getting a loan because of your immigration status, refugee status or your religion, call MVFHC at 937-223-6035.

*There are some exemptions from the fair housing laws. Even if you think your landlord may be exempt from the laws, please call MVFHC at 937-223-6035.

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