skip to main content

Thursday, June 1, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Alabamans urge a grocery tax reduction, a tape shows Trump knew about a classified document on Iran, Pennsylvania puts federal road funds to work and Minnesota's marijuana law will wipe away minor offenses.

play newscast audioPlay

Democrats say a wealth tax would help alleviate some national debt, lawmakers aim to continue pandemic-era funding for America's child care sector, and teachers say firearms at school will make students less safe.

play newscast audioPlay

Oregon may expand food stamp eligibility to some undocumented households, rural areas have a new method of accessing money for roads and bridges, and Tennessee's new online tool helps keep track of cemetery locations.

ND Group Reports Spike in Housing Discrimination Calls

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 10, 2023   

The U.S. is seeing record numbers of housing-discrimination complaints filed by consumers, and North Dakota is among the states where calls for help have gone up significantly. The National Fair Housing Alliance said for 2021, the U.S. had the highest number of complaints since this data has been collected.

In North Dakota, the High Plains Fair Housing Center said the demand for help did not stop in 2022, noting it saw a 44% increase calls coming in.

Michelle Rydz, executive director of the High Plains Fair Housing Center, said a big percentage of those were from people who said they had housing obstacles after it was discovered they were receiving public assistance.

"There's been a lot of landlords who are just outright not accepting it," Rydz said. "They're not accepting it for a security deposit, they're requiring income three times the amount of the rent."

She said these situations coincide with the state carrying out its Rent Help program and the likelihood that recipients are more aware of their rights. Rydz added the state has investigated some of these claims and found discrimination occurred. The center acknowledges higher demand has stretched its staff, with national leaders calling for more resources for housing organizations.

Rydz stressed that even though caseworkers have a lot on their plate, groups such as hers are still ready to help, and she encouraged people to speak up in these situations. She added while these cases sometimes result in investigations, the best outcome is having key agencies hammer out a compromise.

"That's when the Department of Labor and Human Rights or the Department of Housing and Urban Development will work with the person who's experiencing discrimination and landlord or property manager, etc., and then come to a conciliation," Rydz said.

She said that prevents the client from having their housing situation stuck in limbo while the administrative process takes its course. The center said most of the complaints they take in result in conciliation. While there was a 224% increase in fair-housing complaints related to public assistance last year, North Dakota saw a big jump in another category: a spike in sex discrimination complaints tied to housing, which rose 158%.

Disclosure: High Plains Fair Housing Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Civil Rights, Housing/Homelessness, Human Rights/Racial Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
Human rights advocates point out in 2023, North Dakota adopted nearly a dozen laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Human rights voices are calling attention to new North Dakota laws deemed hostile toward LGBTQ+ individuals, saying it is part of a movement led by …


Social Issues

play sound

In eastern Kentucky, advocacy groups are expanding summer learning opportunities for families. Isolation and learning loss plague many rural …

Social Issues

play sound

In 1968, Congress passed a law requiring the Food and Drug Administration to minimize people's exposure to wireless radiation, but the agency dropped …


The owners of Dokkaebier in Oakland said they have thrived after participating in a business accelerator program called the ICA Fund. (Mikey Maher)

Social Issues

play sound

Traditional business lending is tight these days following a series of recent bank collapses but one program is helping small businesses grow…

Environment

play sound

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regulates carbon dioxide pipelines, and is holding a two-day conference in Des …

The BLM manages over 48 million acres in Nevada, which equates to about 67-percent of the Silver State. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Nevadans will have the opportunity to learn more and weigh in on a proposed public lands rule that shifts the Bureau of Land Management's focus to pri…

Social Issues

play sound

In Tennessee and across the country, the rapidly growing Hispanic population made remarkable strides in college enrollment and educational attainment…

Social Issues

play sound

The moment Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping elections bill into law last week, several voter-advocacy groups filed lawsuits against it…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021