Commission: City needs fair housing program

Pat Kimbrough, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Nov. 27—HIGH POINT — A city commission wants High Point to take on a new role by handling enforcement of federal fair housing laws.

The Human Relations Commission has unanimously recommended that the City Council establish a Fair Housing Assistance Program that would investigate complaints from residents about discrimination in housing practices and — if necessary — take cases to federal court.

Human Relations Manager Rase McCray said he expects the recommendation to be considered by the council within the next few months.

The commission's vote came after it hosted a series of public workshops over the summer on several topics related to fair housing, and its members decided there is a need to provide the service locally.

If the council approves the recommendation, the city would seek authorization from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to have the Human Relations Division empowered to enforce compliance with the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968.

That law prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability and other "protected class" categories. It applies to all manner of housing transactions, such as renting, selling, brokering and providing insurance.

Currently, the city refers complaints under this law to the N.C. Human Relations Commission in Raleigh.

If High Point gets its own program, the city would add staff, such as a fair housing investigator.

While most complaints are withdrawn, dismissed or mediated, an investigator could prepare cases for federal court if the city were to bring a lawsuit over housing discrimination.

The workshops provided an opportunity to inform property managers, landlords and other housing providers that the city isn't intending to make this program a policing tool, Managing Director Jeron Hollis said.

"I think going into this discussion, from a community standpoint, there were lots of assumptions and questions about having a fair housing program being this attack dog on a leash that we let loose on our housing providers," Hollis said. "This is not about going in, kicking in doors and disrupting business. If we're doing this correctly, what we're seeing is conciliation. What we're seeing is education. What we're seeing is prevention. What we're seeing is compliance."

pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531