The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Fair housing funding at risk

Ohio’s laws have been weakened and no longer match federal legislation.

Victim identified in fatal shooting outside restaurant
11:31 a.m.
H1N1 flu suspected in Preble County officer’s death, sheriff says
11:18 a.m.
Coroner confirms identities of three men killed in arson
11/7/09
Former Mead Data Central leader dies
11/7/09
Children to learn about aviators from Miami County organizations
11/7/09
> More headlines

By Laura A. Bischoff, Staff Writer 1:23 AM Tuesday, June 23, 2009

COLUMBUS — Ohio could lose $1.3 million a year in federal funding used to investigate roughly 500 fair housing complaints unless the state strengthens its civil rights laws, officials said.

Recent state court rulings have weakened Ohio’s fair housing laws to the point where state law no longer mirrors federal law, and money from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department may be pulled, according to Ohio Civil Rights Commission Director Michael Payton and Miami Valley Fair Housing Director Jim McCarthy.

“You take away those federal funds and it’s almost like a fatal blow to the agency,” Payton said. The Civil Rights Commission, which operates on an $8.8 million annual budget, is already laying off 32 of its 127 staff members, he said.

State Rep. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, House Finance Committee chairman, inserted language in the budget bill that would bolster Ohio’s fair housing laws. Senate Republicans stripped it out because of concerns about anyone being allowed to file housing complaints.

The bill is now in conference committee.

“We have deep, deep concerns about what could potentially happen if these amendments aren’t placed into the budget bill,” Payton said.

Recent key court decisions created case law that weakened Ohio’s protections against housing discrimination based on age, sex, race, creed, national origin or disability, McCarthy said.

According to one ruling, Ohio can’t force builders or owners of new apartments to retroactively make them handicap accessible. Another narrows the list of people who can file a housing discrimination complaint, essentially pushing out groups such as Miami Valley Fair Housing, the NAACP or the Urban League.

If state lawmakers choose not to make changes in the law, housing complaints would be investigated at the federal level, which would be slower and more costly, McCarthy said.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

What is the reason the prior post from bobby was deleted?

what?
11:00 AM, 6/23/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Fair housing? There used to be a benefit for owning your own home, holding a job. What about paying for my house?

V
9:26 AM, 6/23/2009

REPORT ABUSE

The only thing that Jim McCarthy, Director of Miama Valley Fair Housing, is concerned about is losing his job. He has never been bothered by the fact that his agency - which receives $500,000 in federal grants - has refused to investigate and refer hundreds of legitimate fair housing complaints to the civil rights commission.

June
7:51 AM, 6/23/2009

REPORT ABUSE

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.