WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging a homeowners association with housing discrimination for enacting rules designed to effectively remove Black residents utilizing housing choice vouchers from a community in the Town of Providence Village. HUD’s Charge alleges that the respondents’ actions were based on race and color. The Charge further alleges that the respondents filed retaliatory legal action designed to intimidate residents’ safety for exercising their fair housing rights and failed to act when heightened racial tensions left complainants fearing for their safety.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination because of race and color. The Act also makes it unlawful to intimidate or threaten a person for engaging in a protected activity such as filing a fair housing complaint with HUD.

“No resident should be subjected to housing discrimination based on their race and color or face adverse action for asserting their legal rights,” said Diane M. Shelley, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This Charge demonstrates HUD’s commitment to enforcing the full breadth of the Fair Housing Act and making sure all residents have access to fair housing.”

“The Fair Housing Act bars homeowners associations, just like landlords, from denying housing opportunities based on race,” said Benjamin B. Klubes, HUD’s Acting General Counsel. “HUD will not tolerate homeowners associations instituting discriminatory policies.”

A United States Administrative Law Judge will hear HUD’s Charge unless any party to the Charge elects to have the case heard in federal district court. If an administrative law judge finds, after a hearing, that discrimination has occurred, they may award damages to the complainants for their losses as a result of the discrimination. The judge may also order injunctive relief and other equitable relief, to deter further discrimination, as well as payment of attorney fees. In addition, the judge may impose civil penalties to vindicate the public interest. If the federal court hears the case, the judge may also award punitive damages to the complainants.

People who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Relay).

Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to hud.gov/fairhousing.