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Families with Children Denied Housing in Longview, Wash.
LONGVIEW, WASH. – In a shocking case of housing discrimination, the owners and manager of Mountain View Apartments in Longview, Wash., have agreed to pay $12,500 as a civil penalty to settle allegations that they discriminated against families with children in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.
According to the lawsuit, filed by the U.S. government, the defendants, Marilyn Heim, Gene Krause, Sylvia Krause, Richard Trull, Melanie Trull, and their general partnership, Trull and Krause, stated and maintained a policy of not renting apartments to families with children in one or more of the seven buildings at Mountain View.
The allegations are based on evidence generated by the government’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices.
‘The law protects families with children from discrimination when they are looking for housing,’ said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. ‘Particularly in times of economic distress, we must remain vigilant to ensure all individuals have equal access to housing.’
‘In all our communities, in big cities or small towns, we must ensure equal access to housing. Few things are more fundamental to success and happiness than having a safe place to live,’ said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. ‘This settlement should serve as a warning to other property owners and managers not to discriminate against families with children.’
As part of the settlement, the defendants must obtain training in the Fair Housing Act for themselves and their employees, adopt a non-discrimination policy making clear that families with children may reside in every building on a non-discriminatory basis, and submit periodic reports to the United States for monitoring purposes.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed unlawful housing discrimination, call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or email fairhousing@usdoj.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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