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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Press Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:date Year="2011" Day="25" Month="4">April 25, 2011</st1:date><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">BOLI Celebrates Fair Housing Month, Releases Updated Statistics<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Partnership with HUD continues to deliver strong protections for tenants<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:City><st1:place><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black">PORTLAND</SPAN></B></st1:place></st1:City><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> – </SPAN></B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Commissioner Brad Avakian, who oversees </SPAN><st1:State><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Oregon</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">’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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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 </SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Seattle</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> for disposition.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">“Since we began our partnership with HUD in May 2008, the Oregon Civil Rights Division has investigated 316 complaints of unlawful housing discrimination,” </SPAN>Avakian said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“By conducting these investigations closer to home, we’ve been able to provide Oregonians with a more accessible process and more timely remedies.”</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">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. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate in housing transactions based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, or family status.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">In addition to those protections, </SPAN><st1:State><st1:place><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Oregon</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> prohibits discrimination in housing transactions based on sexual orientation, marital status or source of income.</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">“By itself, the Fair Housing Act does not end barriers to living free from discrimination.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That cause depends upon vigorous civil rights law enforcement, sustained public education, [and] working with housing providers and the real estate industry,” said HUD <SPAN style="COLOR: black">Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity John Trasviña</SPAN>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“BOLI is honored to be a partner in this hugely valuable work,” Avakian added.</FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">BOLI defends the rights of workers and citizens to equal, nondiscriminatory treatment in workplaces, housing, and public accommodations. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Civil Rights Division partners with federal agencies like HUD to ensure efficient enforcement of state and federal anti-discrimination laws. </FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">More information about BOLI and the Civil Rights Division is available </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/index.shtml"><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">here</FONT></A><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">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.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P></BODY></HTML>