Company will pay over $82,000 and develop non-discrimination policy
WASHINGTON, DC – January 16, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today 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. Virginia Realty had a policy of not renting to persons with limited English proficiency.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the rental of housing on the basis of national origin.
“Denying housing because a person does not speak English well violates the Fair Housing Act,” said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This settlement reaffirms HUD’s commitment to combating discrimination against a person because of their national origin or the language they speak.”
The case came to HUD’s attention when a Hispanic woman filed a complaint alleging that Virginia Realty, a property management company that manages over 500 rental units throughout Virginia Beach and Norfolk, refused to provide her a rental application because she could not speak English well and refused the translation assistance of the bilingual person she brought with her. Based on her experience, HUD launched a Secretary-initiated Investigation to determine whether the alleged discrimination was systemic. In the course of the investigation, HUD discovered that Virginia Realty had a written policy expressly requiring all prospective tenants to be able to communicate with management staff in English without assistance from others, and to complete rental applications only while they were in the management office.
As a result of HUD’s investigation, Virginia Realty entered into two agreements: one with the individual who brought the initial complaint and the other with HUD. Under the first agreement, Virginia Realty will pay the prospective tenant $7,500. Under the second agreement, the company will donate $25,000 each to the Piedmont Housing Alliance, Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Nueva Vida (New Life) Outreach International Church to support fair housing initiatives. In addition, Virginia Realty will adopt a non-discrimination policy, which it will distribute to current residents and prospective tenants; adopt a plan to more effectively serve Limited English Proficient residents and prospective tenants by providing translation and inter-pretation services; and require its employees to undergo fair housing training.
HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, with its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program, investigates almost 10,000 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they have experienced or witnessed unlawful housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice), or (800) 927-9275 (TTY). More information about fair housing rights is available at HUD’s website, www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
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HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the
need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build
inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
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Contact:
Shantae Goodloe
(202) 708-0685
