LAW-2957 Housing Discrimination Law, Theory and Practice: Brainstorming and Implementing Solutions to Discrimination
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status and national origin in public and private housing. Government and private actors have engaged in behavior that has caused segregation since the beginning of this country and resulting segregation persists today. Housing discrimination is prevalent throughout the United States and our society relies heavily on the private right of action of aggrieved individuals to enforce the FHA and similar state and local anti-discrimination laws to address this problem. ? This course is designed to provide the student with the practical knowledge necessary to assist a client in a fair housing matter. Students in this course will be introduced to fair housing law, policy, and procedure, and given the opportunity to draft fair housing complaints that are based on real test evidence. The Housing Discrimination Testing Program (HDTP) works with discrimination testers to gather evidence about the typical business practices of housing providers. Students will not only gain the experience of working with facts to develop a complaint, but will study the law, HUD guidance, agency procedure, and fair housing cases and agency decisions that will help prepare the student for practice in the future. This class will also focus on practical skills such as strategic decision-making and factual investigation. We will also take an in depth look at jurisdictional issues and matters of proof in discrimination cases. The final assignment will be a mediation memo based on the related complaint.