(NNPA)–The Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, otherwise known as HOPE Inc., has filed two federal lawsuits against Creek Club and Nile Gardens apartments alleging racial discrimination.
HOPE is a Florida nonprofit corporation that engages in testing for fair housing law violations and fights against discriminatory housing practices. It is funded by the United States Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD).
HOPE’s investigation of Creek Club Apartments, located at 1434 NW 19th Terr. in Allapattah, and Nile Gardens Apartments, located at 12750 NW 27th Ave. in Opa-locka, included a series of tests, where representatives from HOPE visited each of the apartments to inquire about prices and availability. In each situation for both locations, Black testers who posed as applicants were consistently told that units were not available. Later in the same day, Hispanic testers, who also posed as applicants, were told that units were available and they were taken to see the apartments.
Both sites were each tested three times between August 2014 and February this year.
In one incident on Feb. 4 at Nile Gardens, a Black tester for Hope approached a Hispanic female in the leasing office inquiring about a one- or two-bedroom apartment. According to the suit, the Hispanic agent told the Black tester no units were available until the 15th or 20th of the month and insisted that proof of income and background and credit checks would be required with the application. She listed the cost of the rent at $800, the security deposit at $500 and an application fee at $50.
When a Hispanic tester came in later in the day, the same Nile Gardens leasing agent informed the tester that an apartment would be available within two to three days and arranged for the tester to see the apartment. The leasing agent listed the same cost of the rent, security deposit and application fee but did not advise the Hispanic tester of any requirements with the application, such as proof of income or background and credit checks.
HOPE filed the lawsuits against Creek Club and Nile Gardens on April 1, the start of Fair Housing Month. The lawsuits claim representatives of both apartment complexes violated the Fair Housing Act of 1965 and the 1866 Civil Rights Act. In the lawsuits, HOPE’s attorneys are demanding the complexes pay punitive and compensatory damages to HOPE and the Black plaintiffs, as well as attorney and court fees.
“Discrimination continues to occur daily in the housing market and becomes more subtle and difficult to detect,” said Keenya Robertson, president and CEO of HOPE. “HOPE will continue to escalate its fight to eradicate all forms of housing discrimination.”
HOPE routinely conducts random checks for racial discrimination in the housing industry but sometimes they are alerted by individuals who have felt discriminated against.
HOPE has filed at least five lawsuits alleging discriminatory housing practices in the last three years. Elite Riverview Apartments in Miami, for example, was sued for discrimination in May 2014 after it allegedly denied Blacks to view rental units. The rental complex settled the case out of court in November.
Robertson said in order to determine if discrimination is taking place, testers have to be familiar with the demographics in the area.
“When you have properties in predominantly Black neighborhoods and the demographics don’t match, that usually raises a red flag,” Robertson said. “We’re just looking for these complexes to change their policies and training and ensure the violations don’t happen again.”
Special to the NNPA from The Miami Times