In a shocking case of housing discrimination, the owners and operators of Twin Oaks Mobile Home Park in Whitewater, Wisconsin, have agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a Justice Department lawsuit alleging that they unlawfully excluded families with children from significant portions of their 230-lot mobile home park.
The settlement must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
“Families with children should be free to choose housing that meets their needs and their budget,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “They should not face discrimination when they are looking for a home for their families.”
The lawsuit, filed in October 2014, arose as a result of a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by a single mother and a former resident who had tried to complete the sale of a mobile home in the park.
The defendants refused to approve the application for residency of the single mother who planned to purchase the mobile home and live there with her then-two-year-old child because the home was located in an area of the park where they did not allow children.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the defendants will pay $45,000 in damages and rent credits to the two persons who filed HUD complaints, $45,000 to other persons who are identified later through a claims process established in the decree and $10,000 in a civil penalty. The settlement also requires the defendants to change their policies to allow families with children throughout the park.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.
“Unless a mobile home park meets the very specific requirements to be designated housing for older persons, the owner cannot refuse to sell or rent a home to a family because they have a child,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
Twin Oaks Mobile Home Park Inc., Merrill Eugene Gutzmer, and Dennis Hansen, the defendants in the case, were sued for violating the Fair Housing Act.
The defendants were accused of refusing to rent or sell homes to families with children, except in areas designated for older persons. The case was filed in October 2014, and the settlement must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Anyone who believes that they have been discriminated against by Twin Oaks because they have children should call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, mailbox number 9997 or email the department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.
The case is a prime example of the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the fair housing rights of families.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: Public Corruption|Housing Discrimination
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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