PORTLAND, Ore. - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted two community roundtables on Wednesday to address the problem of sexual harassment in housing, kicking off a statewide initiative to combat this violation of federal law.
The initial Portland meetings included representatives from state and local law enforcement agencies, legal aid, advocacy organizations, the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, shelters, housing providers, victim advocates, and tribal representatives. These organizations often interact with and represent vulnerable populations who are most likely to become victims of sexual harassment in housing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue this effort throughout other parts of Oregon to help educate victim advocates, social service organizations, and law enforcement, about the protections provided by the federal Fair Housing Act, and to encourage reporting of such violations across the state.
“Sexual harassment in housing is often underreported, and it is an egregious violation of a person’s right to fair housing," U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said. “Landlords or managers, who use their power over tenants to extort sexual favors, or even commit assaults, is intolerable. Our office is dedicated to uncovering such violations where they exist and vigorously enforcing federal law."
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act.
The Justice Department’s nationwide initiative, seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts - both among survivors and those they may report to - and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with the DOJ Civil Rights Division to ensure people are aware of options to help victims experiencing sexual harassment or who experienced sexual harassment in housing in the past. Often it is community organizations, such as local law enforcement, legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, shelters and transitional housing providers, that are in the best position to identify housing abuses and recommend that victims report sexual harassment to DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. By increasing awareness and building strong partnerships, we can better combat this problem in our community.
The roundtables are an integral part of a DOJ initiative that seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of its enforcement efforts - both among victims and those they may report to - and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help women quickly and easily connect with federal resources. DOJ encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact the Civil Rights Division by calling (844) 380-6178 or emailing: fairhousing@usdoj.gov. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of such discrimination may also file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon by contacting Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Brown, at 503-727-1000.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
