MADISON, WIS. - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a roundtable today for community organizations to discuss the problem of sexual harassment in housing, U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader announced. The event hosted organizations who routinely work with vulnerable populations most likely to become victims of sexual harassment in housing, including legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and shelters and transitional housing providers.
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act.
“Sexual harassment in housing is often underreported, but it is an egregious violation of the Fair Housing Act," U.S. Attorney Blader said. “My office is dedicated to uncovering such violations where they exist and vigorously enforcing the law."
Today’s roundtable is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. It seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of enforcement efforts - both among survivors and those to whom they report - and collaborate with federal, state and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
While most people are familiar with the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, harassment also occurs in housing, and the Fair Housing Act prohibits it. The Justice Department brings cases each year involving various illegal conduct, including allegations that defendants have exposed themselves sexually to current or prospective tenants, requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures. Many instances of sexual harassment in housing continue to go unreported. The Justice Department’s investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years or decades and identify numerous victims who never reported the conduct to federal authorities.
In October 2017, the Justice Department launched an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. In April 2018, the Department announced the nationwide rollout of the initiative, including three major components: a new joint Task Force with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit to leverage the Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and a public awareness campaign, including the launch of a national Public Service Announcement.
Since launching the initiative, the Justice Department has filed nine lawsuits alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department has filed or settled 14 sexual harassment cases since January 2017, and has recovered over $2.2 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibit discrimination in housing and lending. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may also file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 222 West Washington Avenue, Suite 700, Madison, WI, 53703; ATTN: Civil Rights Coordinator.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
