Equal Rights Center

March is Women’s History Month! ERC and Loudoun County, VA, are marking the occasion with a free Fair Housing “Lunch and Learn” Series. The virtual presentations will address how women’s fair housing rights have evolved over the years. Links to join session one (Wednesday the 19th) and session two (Wednesday March 26th) are in the comments.

A lawsuit brought by Texas and 16 other states is calling for an end to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The 1973 law bars discrimination on the basis of disability at any entity that receives federal funds. “If this happens, it would be a disaster for disabled people and everything from education to employment would be negatively impacted,” said Maria Town, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. https://lnkd.in/eQ4V9NfS?

Earlier today, we shared the news with our members that HUD suddenly, inexplicably cancelled one of our grants on February 27th. We appreciate our peers in the fair housing movement for bringing this action in an effort to get the grants restored: "Four fair housing organizations sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Government Efficiency on Thursday, faced with the sudden rescission of approximately $30 million critical grant dollars. The organizations — in Massachusetts, Idaho, Texas and Ohio — were among 66 housing rights nonprofits across the country that received a letter in late February informing them that key funding used to help individuals fight eviction and seek redress for discrimination had been cut off. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of a proposed class of the groups."

Join us Tuesday, March 18th at 4 PM! We're co-hosting a free, educational webinar with Anne Arundel County, MD, about fair housing protections against harassment. Speakers will address examples of illegal conduct and empower home-seekers and providers to maintain safe housing. https://lnkd.in/evyu8KDv

Earlier this month D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a proposal to roll back pandemic-era eviction protections and renter assistance policies. “When rent is unaffordable for so many District tenants, stripping their rights is not the solution.” https://wapo.st/4bdI91D?

Join Empower DC today at 6:30 pm for their Performance Oversight Testimony Power Hour. They will prepare testimony for upcoming oversight hearings and strategize talking points for in-person Council walk-arounds before the hearings. Visit EmpowerDC.org/events or call Andria at 202-758-3978 to register.

Earlier this week, ERC signed an open letter advocating for the Maryland General Assembly to pass HB 896/SB 677. Since the state enacted source-of-income discrimination protections in 2020, some housing providers have been using exclusionary minimum income and credit requirements to keep housing voucher holders out of their properties. The proposed legislation would directly address these unfair barriers and ensure that voucher holders can secure safe, affordable housing in their neighborhoods of choice. https://lnkd.in/ewyesnrf

BREAKING: “According to the lawsuit, by steering ads for for-profit schools disproportionately to Black users of its social media platforms, Meta reinforces historical barriers to economic stability and mobility for Black students.” “The Equal Rights Center has a long history of standing up for the rights of people who have been discriminated against in the District, especially when it is hard for individual consumers to recognize that discrimination is happening,” remarks Kate Scott, executive director of the Equal Rights Center. “By bringing this action today, we are able to extend our fight even further to online racial discrimination in public accommodations.” https://lnkd.in/dcNx7i96

PRESS RELEASE: Today, the ERC filed two complaints alleging accessible design and construction violations at properties in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD. ERC Executive Director Kate Scott comments, “People with disabilities face an extreme shortage of accessible housing options. Developers who fail to comply with accessible design and construction requirements contribute to that shortage, making it profoundly difficult for people with disabilities to find homes.” https://lnkd.in/dzV79ZUP

Now is your chance to tell D.C. Council about your experiences interacting with city agencies! Do you have a housing voucher or a Rapid Rehousing subsidy? Have you ever filed a housing discrimination complaint? You can share your experiences at upcoming Performance Oversight Hearings. See the schedule and our guide for providing feedback: https://lnkd.in/eyEmd_gb