Fair Housing Matters in Tennessee

Just ask any of the hundreds of attendees at the annual Tennessee Fair Housing Matters Conference (http://www.tnfairhousingmatters.net) in Nashville if fair housing is an important issue in the State of Tennessee, and you will get an emphatic answer: "Of course it is!" You'll also hear a potpourri of case law and examples in Tennessee that have changed people's conception of fair housing law enforcement. Representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development attended and updated attendees on the latest national trends related to discrimination and enforcement of the nation's fair housing laws during the event. Several hundred people attended conference presentations and workshops.

Supported by non-profits such as the Tennessee Council of Developmental Disabilities; local, state and federal agencies such as the Tennessee Fair Housing Council, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and the City of Murfreesboro, to name a few, the conference exemplifies a united statewide effort to provide the latest information about fair housing and related federal laws.

HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), Bryan Greene, gave a presentation during lunch. Speaking as a HUD Official who oversees policy direction and operational management of HUD's 600-person Office of FHEO located in Washington, he provided examples of abuse of fair housing laws and emphasized the continuing need for compliance with existing regulations. Executive Director of the Tennessee Housing and Development Agency, Ted Fellman, read the Governor's Fair Housing Proclamation that April be officially recognized as Fair Housing Month, and emphasized Tennessee's dedication to fair housing and equal opportunity.

Workshops were held to discuss predatory lending, court cases, and what steps homeowners can do to avoid foreclosure and scams, including activities sponsored by the local HUD-approved housing counseling agency, Residential Resources, as well as Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, and the West Tennessee Legal Services. Other workshops covered harassment, intimidation and coercion under the Fair Housing Act and issues that real estate agents must consider with regards to fair housing issues. Disability issues were covered throughout the event Michael Allen of Relman, Dane Colfax, PLLC, discussed in detail some of the court cases they worked in order to uphold the Fair Housing Act or related clauses that proved how some agencies or companies evade the whole ideal and commitment of the law by evading or ill-defining the principles and guidelines therein.

For more information about the Fair Housing Act, HUD's FHEO programs and grants, as well as enforcement issues, please see HUD's website.

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