News | HUD Continues VAWA Monitoring and Penalties

HUD continues monitoring compliance with the Violence Against Women Act, imposing penalties, or entering into conciliation agreements. A recently announced agreement where a management company must pay nearly $9,000 demonstrates this. 

More details can be found in a HUD press release, "HUD Approves Agreement with Michigan Housing Provider Resolving Allegations of Discrimination Under the Violence Against Women Act and the Fair Housing Act" dated June 21, 2024.

The below is adapted from the HUD press release.

The discussed conciliation agreement can be found HERE.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on June 21, 2024, that it has entered into a Conciliation Agreement with a Michigan housing provider resolving allegations that the Respondent denied housing to a woman because of her disability and status as a survivor under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Complainant alleged the landlord did not respond to her rental application due to her vision impairment and because she revealed a past tenancy was terminated due to experiencing dating violence and stalking. Read the Agreement here.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Respondent will pay the Complainant $8,500. The Respondent will also take affirmative steps to ensure their policies, practices, and procedures comply with VAWA and the Fair Housing Act. The Agreement further stipulates that the Respondent will require all its staff to attend VAWA-related training.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status, and disability. Under VAWA, individuals living in covered housing programs cannot be denied housing, evicted, or lose assistance due to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. They also have the right to request an emergency transfer for safety reasons related to violence.

“We have an ongoing commitment to enforcing rights enshrined under VAWA and the Fair Housing Act, ensuring equal access to housing for all,” said Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Today and every day, HUD is taking action to root out discrimination in housing, protecting survivors and their families. With this Agreement, housing providers are on notice that they must comply with the law.” 

HUD’s new enforcement authority under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (“VAWA 2022”), which was signed into law on March 15, 2022, enhances housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking applying for and assisted under covered HUD housing programs and certain other federal housing and homeless assistance programs. VAWA 2022 authorizes HUD to enforce the law by the same process as the Fair Housing Act. VAWA 2022 ensures the right to call 9-1-1 without fear of losing housing or other repercussions, and it prohibits retaliation by housing providers for exercising VAWA rights or assisting others in doing so. These protections apply regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Get great VAWA training! Click on the image below.