HEXED HOUSE HUNTING

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children she didn't know what to do. Most of us do not resort to living in a shoe when we have been discriminated against, but only recently have we had recourse in law to enforce our right to adequate housing.

Under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, any pol icy or conduct interfering with equal housing opportunities because of race, color, religion or national origin constitutes a violation of federal law. The act was amended in 1974 to include protection against sex discrimination in renting. buying or selling. leasing and mortgages.

practice, sex discrimination takes many forms. In one instance, two young women were warned that they would be thrown out if they had men staying overnight at their apartment. One woman actually was evicted on these grounds. Meanwhile, the neighborhood bachelor had women openly staying at his flat. Women are also warned that they must not have wild parties. Men are not given this warning since such behavior is condoned in them. "Everybody knows" that men are more wild and irresponsible than women, and must sow their wild oats.

A case in point is auto insurance rates, which are higher for single males than for women. Another salient fact is that the accidental death rate is twice as high for males as for females. These factors seem to indicate that inales are not such a good risk after all.

Invasion of privacy is often discriminatory, even if an order such as the above is not advanced. In another case a woman was boarding with a family and had her own quarters on the third floor. A short time after she moved in, the landlord, self-righteously Catholic, asked her wity she didn't attend mass. His impertinence was too much for her and she moved out immediately.

DO

Leslic R. testified to the difficulty single parents have finding decnt housing they can afford A divorced mother of three, she began househun ting in November, 1974. She was finally able to settle down in time for Christmas, but in a more expensive apartment than she had anticipated.

Leslie looked at two-family houses, most of

which were'ramshakle places with absentee landlords'. She signed a lease for one of the more decent ones, and the next day the landlord revoked it with the excuse that 'My wife doesn't want three kids living there'.

In her search for housing Leslie encountered many instances of discrimination against herself and her children. Why didn't she take any of them to court? "Who can afford it? Besides, it's impossible for a woman and three children to live for months in a hotel room,"she pronounced.

Clarkwood Apratments, at which Leslie had inquired, flatly stated that their policy was not to rent to single parents, even though families with children live there. Dan Skoch of the Ohio Civil Rights Commision recently handled a case against Clarkwood's management in which he showed that their discrimination against single parents was necessarily discrimination against women, since in the preponderance of divorce cases, women are awarded custody of the chil dren. Clark wood has apparently terminated the policy of refusing single parents. They still maintain their non-working wife clause, however, which states that one parent must be home with the children. OCRC had to verify that one divorced woman did not work outside of the home, but rather from the home, before she could rent an apartment. So now single parents and ineir children can live at Clarkwood, if one parent remains at home with the children and if the family income is high enough! In exchange for allowing single parents to live there, Clarkwood has now raised its minimum earnings requirements.

What Constitutes Discrimination?

Cleveland was recently found to be number one in the country in housing discrimination practices, according to the Cleveland Tenants Handbook. So, if you have not already encountered it, the chances are very good that you will. The Ohio Civil Rights Act of 1965 makes it illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to you or to impose more stringent terms on you because of your race, color, religion, ancestry, sex or national origin.

Beware of any situation in whcih the landlord quotes a higher price than is advertised. If he says the apartment is already rented you can have a male of the same race and income bracket inquire about the place and then compare answers. If the apartment is not already rented and the rent is the same as advertised, they may have arbitrarily set income requirements. Larger security deposits are often required of single parents or families with children. This list is not exhaustive, so if you feel that you have been discriminated against, first call the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which investigates complaints and follows through on compliance with the aforementioned law.

Then What?

Your complaint will be assigned to an OCRC investigator, who will contact the landlord and begin the investigation. If the investigation finds that there is good evidence that discriminatory practices do exist, then a conciliation proposal is made to the landlord. If the landlord

refuses the conciliation, he is issued a ceas; and desist order, under which the property canno be rented until the case is decided. This point. up the need for quick action on complaints It the property is already rented when you file t complaint, even if you win the case you cannot rent the apartment, because the court will not order the eviction of the present tenants. So. even though you have six months after the event to file your claim, you have much more to gain by filing immediately.

So, what if you win the case and move in? The prospect of living with an angry landlord is at best unappealing. Nancy Voloshen filed suit. in federal court in August and her landlord countered by reducing the water pressure to her HOUSING DISCRIMINATION WHAT YOU CAN DO

TO INITIATE ACTION ON A COMPLAINT

OPERATION EQUALITY

4102 Lee Rd. Cleve., Ohio 44128

295-1600

HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CONGRESS 2158 Lee Rd 44118

321-6775

OHIO CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION Room 680 Rockefeller Blg 44113 West 6 and Superior

5792800

TO FILE CIVIL LAW SUITS

LEGAL AID SOCIETY Main Office 2108 Payne 44114

861-6242

LAWYERS FOR HOUSING Terminal Tower 1 Public Square 44113

696-2886

NATIONAL LAWYER'S GUILD Room 600 2108 Payne 44114

687-1838

WOMEN'S LAW FUND Keith Bldg 44114

CLEVELAND TENANTS HANDBOOK

NATIONAL LAWYER'S GUILD Room 600 2108 Payne 44114

621-3443

suite and not allowing her son to play in the yard. However, you may be compensated in money up to $1,000 in punitive damages and the differe ence in rent and court costs. The likelihood of continuous harrassment is slim once the case has been decided in your favor, since the landlord will be under a three-year period of compliance during which he must report to the OCRC. You are also contacted to verify his compliance. Although attempts at redress of discrimination have often encountered official yawns, landlord excuses, and legal hassles, progress is being made in the area of housing As with the civil rights movement in general, progress seems to be slow. but it is inevitable.

BEZ

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