NEWS RELEASE: BOLI Celebrates Fair Housing Month, Releases Updated Statistics

[Bob Estabrook]

Press Release
For Immediate Distribution
April 25, 2011
CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730
 
BOLI Celebrates Fair Housing Month, Releases Updated Statistics
 Partnership with HUD continues to deliver strong protections for tenants
 
PORTLAND – Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Commissioner Brad Avakian, who oversees Oregon’s Civil Rights Division, today commemorated Fair Housing Month by releasing new statistics demonstrating the continued benefits of the state-federal Fair Housing Assistance Program.  The program, which has been in effect since 2008 through a partnership between BOLI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), empowers the state’s Civil Rights Division to conduct local investigations of claims that formerly had to be routed to Seattle for disposition.
 
“Since we began our partnership with HUD in May 2008, the Oregon Civil Rights Division has investigated 316 complaints of unlawful housing discrimination,” Avakian said.  “By conducting these investigations closer to home, we’ve been able to provide Oregonians with a more accessible process and more timely remedies.”
 
April 2011 marks the 43rd anniversary of the passage of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Federal Fair Housing Act.  The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate in housing transactions based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, or family status.  In addition to those protections, Oregon prohibits discrimination in housing transactions based on sexual orientation, marital status or source of income.
 
“By itself, the Fair Housing Act does not end barriers to living free from discrimination.  That cause depends upon vigorous civil rights law enforcement, sustained public education, [and] working with housing providers and the real estate industry,” said HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity John Trasviña.  “BOLI is honored to be a partner in this hugely valuable work,” Avakian added.
 
BOLI defends the rights of workers and citizens to equal, nondiscriminatory treatment in workplaces, housing, and public accommodations.  The Civil Rights Division partners with federal agencies like HUD to ensure efficient enforcement of state and federal anti-discrimination laws. 
 
More information about BOLI and the Civil Rights Division is available here.
 
######
 
The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/boli_media/attachments/20110425/99bacf2a/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpg
Size: 7303 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/boli_media/attachments/20110425/99bacf2a/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 04.25.11 BOLI Release - Fair	Housing Month.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 52325 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/boli_media/attachments/20110425/99bacf2a/attachment.pdf>