Who We Serve
FHANC offers fair housing counseling services to homeowners and renters located in the counties of Marin and Sonoma (with the exception of the city of Petaluma), as well as the cities of Fairfield and Vallejo, who have experienced discrimination based on their membership in a protected class. We also offer Foreclosure Prevention and Pre-Purchase Education/Counseling services to homeowners in the Bay Area.
FHANC Statistics: Fiscal Year 2017-18
Between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California provided counseling or education to 1,623 tenants, homeowners, homebuyers, social service providers, and advocates across Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano counties.
* Based on federal and California discrimination protections
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Overview
Of the fair housing clients assisted by FHANC last year, 86% of clients were extremely low, very low, or low income. In addition, 27% were Latino, 4% of whom spoke no English, and 14% were Black/African-American. Approximately four out of every five inquiries concerned rental properties. Federal Protections: FHANC took 341 complaints related to disability, 69 complaints of gender discrimination, 50 complaints of race discrimination, 37 complaints of national origin discrimination, 32 complaints of familial status discrimination, and 5 complaints of religious discrimination. State Protections: FHANC also received 17 complaints alleging age discrimination, 15 complaints alleging source of income discrimination, 9 complaints alleging marital status discrimination, 9 complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and 3 complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of an arbitrary characteristic. Please note that some complaints alleged discrimination on the basis of multiple protected classes. FHANC garnered $38,125, along with policy changes and training, in settlements for 6 housing discrimination cases on behalf of clients and the agency, through interventions and administrative complaints. Building upon previous investigations, FHANC and almost 20 other non-profit fair housing agencies, filed 2 lawsuits in 2018 in federal court against Deutsche Bank and Bank of America for discriminating in maintenance and marketing of its foreclosed properties and perpetuating segregation. Both lawsuits are pending. |
By The Numbers
-1,359 clients served (tenants, homeowners, social service providers, and advocates) - 469 fair housing rental cases - 67 reasonable accommodations granted of 78 requested - 17 reasonable modification requests funded to improve accessibility for people with disabilities - 71 rental properties investigated for discriminatory practices - 13 administrative fair housing complaints filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing - 2 lawsuits filed in federal court - $38,125 garnered in settlements for clients and FHANC - 101 distressed homeowners counseled - $833,829 paid to homeowners through Keep Your Home California programs to prevent foreclosure - 264 prospective homebuyers educated - 144 housing providers trained - 418 tenants and staff from service agencies reached though fair housing presentations - 166 community members attended fair housing conferences - 4,739 pieces of literature distributed - 104 children participated in annual Fair Housing Poster Contest from 10 local schools - 16 students participated in annual Fair Housing Poetry Contest from 11 local schools - 2,630 children attended 16 Storytelling shows |
FHANC Success Stories
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What Our Clients Say:
“We are very grateful to you and FHANC. Sometimes life hits you hard and knocks you out but thankfully there are great people in this world and you are one of them.” E.H., Novato "The assistance I got from Fair Housing Advocates was a Godsend. I am so grateful for organizations like this. There are few and must be supported. Just knowing you were there if I needed you gave me the confidence to persist and prevented me from falling into despair when it all seemed so hopeless there for a while." A.P., Santa Rosa “You are inspirational and encouraging. Your phone calls meant a lot to me when I needed it the most during my most challenging times.” P.S., San Rafael "Fair Housing Advocates has been enormously helpful to us in understanding tenant rights of the elderly and/or disabled. Their advocate guided us toward a reasonable accommodation in our lease that will allow a safe and orderly transition to assisted living. I can't thank them enough." L.M., Sausalito “Thank you! You guys have saved me from day one forward. You are a lifesaver and I am forever grateful that I made that first phone call to you!” J.K, Santa Rosa “Thank you so very much for talking with me that day at the job fair. If not for you we would be in total crisis mode at this very moment.” C.G., Kenwood “I would like to thank you and your office for all the help I've got from all of you. God Bless you all.” C.P., Sonoma 
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Client Stories:
In mid-2018, FHANC and a Latinx family settled 2 administrative complaints filed with HUD alleging national origin and familial status discrimination for $27,200 plus major policy change, including removal of discriminatory language from lease agreements, fair housing training for 3 years, targeted advertising and other non-monetary relief. FHANC intervened on behalf of a disabled client whose housing subsidy had been terminated, leaving him homeless. FHANC staff successfully negotiated the reinstatement of his Shelter Plus Care assistance as an accommodation based upon the connection between his disabilities and alleged lease violations, allowing the client to search for stable, affordable housing. FHANC provided assistance to a disabled single-mother in San Pablo who FHANC assisted through a Keep Your Home California program. FHANC counseled the client for a principal reduction and as a result, the client was awarded $93,600. Now, her payment is 38% of her gross income, whereas prior to contacting FHANC it was 72%. Testimonials for FHANC's Programs:
Housing Provider Training Seminar: “I’ve been in law for 12+ years, and this attorney is an amazing teacher.” Pre-purchase Workshop: “The workshop was very informative. I loved both presenters. They are my heroes!!! 2018 Fair Housing Conference: "The plethora of info given and with the passion it was delivered was very motivational to me." Multiple people praised the presenters and performers as “engaging, relatable, inspirational, passionate, brilliant, and eloquent.” Storyteller Program: “The children were enthralled by Kirk's performance… The stories Kirk presented were meaningful lessons that helped the children understand equity and diversity issues.” | ||
