Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (formerly Fair Housing of Marin)

Apply today! The waiting list for the Marin Housing Authority Public Housing Senior/Disabled (AMP2) Program is opening from June 27 - July 11. Marin Housing Authority is opening the AMP2 - Senior/Disabled Housing Waiting List from June 27th to July 11th to fill studio units. Applications accepted online at apply.marinhousing.org or in-person at 429 Drake Ave, Marin City and 4020 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. CURRENT WAITLIST IS FOR AMP2 STUDIOS AMP2 - Senior/Disabled Housing • Casa Nova, 35 Carmel Drive, Novato, CA 94945 (40 units) • Golden Hinde, 5 Golden Hinde, San Rafael, CA 94903 (40 Units) • Venetia Oaks, 263 N. San Pedro Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903 (36 units) • Kruger Pines, 47 Knoll Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (56 units) • Homestead Terrace, 100-140 Linden Lane, Mill Valley, CA 94941 (28 units) Preference Points Marin Housing Authority assigns preference points based on the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) of June 2023. A copy is available for review at https://lnkd.in/gKkGXwms #fairhousing

FHANC Appraisal Settlement FHANC and their client, a Black homeowner in Oakland, announced the settlement of a complaint against a lender and a licensed real estate appraiser, resulting in significant monetary and injunctive relief. Ms. Trent applied to a mortgage company to refinance her home loan and to use some of the equity to finance needed repairs and renovations. The company hired Michael A. Ustick, a real estate appraiser, who appraised her home for $785,000,  well below the valuations she had received in two previous appraisals. Because of the low appraisal, the mortgage company denied her loan. One month later, Ms. Trent applied for a loan through a different lender. The subsequent appraisal report valued her home at $1,125,000, a $340,000 difference. FHANC’s complaint alleged that Mr. Ustick took into account both Ms. Trent’s race and the current and historical racial demographics of Ms. Trent’s neighborhood in East Oakland. The complaint alleged that as a result of the discrimination she experienced, Ms. Trent lost a financing opportunity, suffered economic losses and emotional distress. ABC 7 Feature link: https://lnkd.in/gdRFD5kJ FHANC press release link: https://lnkd.in/gSj7_GNJ

Check out the latest FHANC updates! 2024 Virtual Fair Housing Conference - Advancing Fair Housing: Strategies for Change FHANC’s 2024 fair housing conference was a success! The conference included sessions on strategies for advancing fair housing and racial equity, the use of fair housing laws to address emerging corporate practices negatively impacting tenants, and more.  FHANC would like to thank the speakers, sponsors, attendees, and everyone that helped make the conference a success. If you would like to read more about the conference, visit https://lnkd.in/gZ76nJHQ Fair Housing Poetry Contest During national Fair Housing month, FHANC hosted a Poetry Contest for Marin, Sonoma, and Solano counties' children in grades 3-12. The Poetry Contest gave children the opportunity to express their views on the concepts of diversity, inclusion, and fair housing. The 2024 theme was "A Path to Diversity; A World of Inclusion." Winning contestants were awarded prizes and certificates of recognition and were invited to read their poem during FHANC’s virtual Fair Housing Conference. FHANC Executive Director speaks at C.A.R. Fair Housing Day FHANC’s Executive Director Caroline Peattie presented at C.A.R. Fair Housing Day. Peattie’s panel unpacked current cases and fair housing trends. Cross-sector collaboration with FHANC and housing industry professionals strengthens relationships and provides opportunities for fair housing outreach and education. Pre-Purchase Certification Workshop Online Series hosted May 1 and 2 FHANC hosted a virtual Pre-Purchase Certification Workshop in May. The workshops are crucial for first-time home buyers, as they are required to access first-time home buyer loans, a loan designed to expand access to homeownership. FHANC’s HUD-certified counselor covered key topics to prepare homebuyers for successful homeownership, such as the homebuying process, financial and credit management, the lending process, and programs and resources for first-time homebuyers. #fairhousing

Thank you to our 2024 Fair Housing Conference sponsors for helping FHANC put on yet another successful Fair Housing Conference! Ruby Sponsors - WaFd Bank - Marin Community Foundation - California Association of REALTORS® Emerald Sponsors - Mechanics Bank - North Bay Association of REALTORS® - Asian Real Estate Association of America - Marin Association of REALTORS® - Marin Sanitary Service - EAH Housing - FHANC Board Member - Anonymous Sapphire Sponsors - Century 21 Select Real Estate, Inc - First Federal of San Rafael - Marin Interfaith Council - Legal Aid of Marin - Audrey Perrott, REALTOR®, Century 21 Select Real Estate, Inc. - Azalea Renfield, FHANC Board President - City of Fairfield - Haven Neighborhood Services - Solano Association of REALTORS® - California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS® - Brancart & Brancart #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Happening now! FHANC's Virtual Fair Housing Conference, Session 4: Fair Housing and the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI and automated systems impact every area and aspect of our lives, determining if we can secure quality housing, obtain affordable credit, gain a living wage job, access the right healthcare, and other services. While these technologies hold immense potential (lowering the cost of mortgage loans, increasing a homeowners’ chances of getting insurance, or identifying fraud and security threats) they also bring challenges. AI can perpetuate and amplify discrimination, resulting in denial of access to life-saving healthcare or false imprisonment. This session will empower attendees with knowledge, actionable insights, and strategies to collaborate on practical solutions that can be implemented in our communities, employing innovative fairness methodologies and leveraging AI to identify and eradicate discriminatory practices, while advocating for AI-driven equitable access to vital opportunities and striking a balance between fairness and accuracy in algorithmic models. Session speakers include: - Lisa Rice, President of the National Fair Housing Alliance - Catherine Bracy, Founder & CEO of the Tech Equity Collaborative #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Happening now! FHANC's Virtual Fair Housing Conference, Session 3: Leveraging Fair Housing Laws: Advocating for Corporate Accountability in Housing This session will include a conversation between housing advocates and fair housing practitioners about emerging corporate landlord practices, including junk fees and zero tolerance policies that disproportionately impact members of protected classes. This session will examine how to look at these issues through a fair housing lens to suggest best practices for housing providers & fair housing laws that housing advocates can apply to protect the most vulnerable residents in our communities. Session 3 Speakers - Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director & Founder, Housing & Economic Rights Advocates - Leah Simon-Weisberg, Executive Director, California Center for Movement Legal Service - Julia Howard-Gibbon, Supervising Attorney, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Happening now! FHANC's Virtual Fair Housing Conference, Fair Housing Poetry Contest During this section of the conference, we will be reading featured poems from our recent Fair Housing Poetry Contest! #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Happening now! FHANC's Virtual Fair Housing Conference, Session 2: Addressing the Impact of Residential Segregation. This session will cover some of the causes as well as the effects of residential segregation — exclusionary zoning, restrictive covenants, and others — and some of the ways to address them.  Session 2 Speakers - Cashauna Hill, Executive Director of The Redress Movement - Liz Darby, Social Equity Programs and Policy Coordinator for the County of Marin #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Happening Now! FHANC's Virtual Fair Housing Conference, Session 1: Fair Housing Testing Investigations with Fred Freiberg, a National Field Consultant at the Fair Housing Justice Center. In this short session, Fred Freiberg will explore the crucial role fair housing testing plays in providing probative evidence when housing discrimination occurs. In addition, we will show an excerpt from a film produced in 1961 — prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act — by Wisconsin NAACP and the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Black and white actors contacted housing providers about homes for rent or sale. This film was suppressed by the university for 59 years because of the “moral and ethical problem” of hidden cameras and microphones as “an unwarranted invasion of privacy”. Despite appeals to release the film by prominent politicians and respected journalists like Edward R. Murrow, the film was not released until 2021. #FairHousingStrategiesforChange

Join FHANC at our virtual fair housing conference taking place TODAY! Registration will remain open all day! Visit the conference website for details on speakers, sessions, and today's agenda! https://lnkd.in/gZ76nJHQ The conference will address strategies for advancing fair housing and racial equity, with topics such as the use of fair housing laws to address emerging corporate practices negatively impacting tenants; tech equity and responsible AI in the fair housing context; and addressing the impact of residential segregation. #fairhousing