Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC) provides free comprehensive fair housing counseling, complaint investigation, and assistance in filing housing discrimination complaints to homeowners and renters located in the counties of Marin, Solano, and Sonoma (with the exception of the city of Petaluma), who have experienced discrimination based on their membership in a protected class. FHANC is HUD-certified to offer pre-purchase counseling and education programs, as well as foreclosure prevention counseling and workshops.
FHANC is currently the only full service fair housing agency in Marin County and the only housing counseling agency in Marin County certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHANC provides varying levels of fair housing services and mortgage foreclosure prevention services as well as advisory and training services in Marin, Sonoma (except the city of Petaluma), Solano, and other counties.
The services provided to our clients are available at no charge in both English and Spanish.
FHANC is currently the only full service fair housing agency in Marin County and the only housing counseling agency in Marin County certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). FHANC provides varying levels of fair housing services and mortgage foreclosure prevention services as well as advisory and training services in Marin, Sonoma (except the city of Petaluma), Solano, and other counties.
The services provided to our clients are available at no charge in both English and Spanish.
FHANC Annual Report FY 2024-25
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In FY 2024–25, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC) made an impact across the Bay Area, serving 1,926 people through its comprehensive fair housing, foreclosure prevention, and first-time home buying services. Each of these individuals received some form of support, from advice and referrals to counseling, legal representation, and advocacy--reflecting FHANC’s deep commitment to advancing housing justice. Among those served, 538 clients came forward with allegations of housing discrimination and received tailored fair housing counseling or legal assistance, while 439 clients obtained full-service counseling or advocacy to address foreclosure prevention or other homeownership/home buying challenges.
FHANC’s advocacy continued to make tangible differences for people with disabilities, successfully assisting 66 clients (82% granted) to access reasonable accommodations or modifications from their landlords.To combat systemic discrimination, FHANC filed six fair housing lawsuits or administrative complaints, resulting in $715,103 in monetary awards and attorneys’ fees secured on behalf of clients and the organization. Education and outreach remained central to FHANC’s mission. Through fair housing, prepurchase, and foreclosure prevention workshops and presentations, FHANC trained housing providers, advocates, government staff, service providers, and community members to recognize and prevent discrimination. The organization also reached thousands more by distributing 9,454 flyers, brochures, and other educational materials promoting awareness of fair housing rights and resources. FHANC continued its annual tradition of convening community partners at its 2025 Virtual Fair Housing Conference and its Conference on Successfully Housing People with Disabilities, fostering learning and collaboration with a total of 289 attendees at both conferences. |
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FHANC Statistics: By the Numbers
Fair Housing Cases/Complaints Data Trends
Percent of “Types of Complaints” Per County (Based on federally protected classes)
Percent of “Types of Complaints” Per County (Based on federally protected classes)
Percentages of Types of Complaints for Previous Four Fiscal Years
FY 2024-2025 Percentages of Types of Complaints by County
Education Department Data and Metrics:
In FY 2024–25, FHANC’s Education and Outreach department delivered 39 trainings, workshops, and presentations reaching 1,559 housing providers, advocates, government staff, service providers, and community members. These educational efforts spanned diverse audiences and topics, from our annual Fair Housing Conference, which brought together 224 participants, to the Reasonable Accommodations (RA) Conference, attended by 65 community members.
FHANC provided foreclosure prevention training to 15 homeowners facing mortgage distress, pre-purchase education to 152 first-time homebuyers, and additional fair housing and community presentations to 1,143 individuals, reflecting FHANC’s broad commitment to advancing housing equity through knowledge and awareness.FHANC staff also participated in 105 networking and outreach events to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH) and strengthen regional partnerships.
A total of 9,454 pieces of educational literature were distributed - both in English and Spanish. These outreach and education efforts exemplify FHANC’s ongoing mission to empower communities, equip housing professionals, and ensure that fair housing principles remain at the forefront of local policy and practice.
Racial Discrimination and Criminal Record Audit
FHANC Success Stories & Testimonials
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“I wanted to thank you again for a great presentation to our Housing, Tenant Protection and Anti-Displacement Workshop cohort! You provided great information and truly engaged the audience. We all appreciated your presentation "style" and how you were able to answer questions so effectively. Several people have asked for your contact information to follow up with you.” - FHANC Anonymous Client |
“Thank you for the valuable information you shared about the home buying process. I found the class to be extremely informative. I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to taking it at first, but I quickly realized how much I didn’t know and I’m truly grateful I attended. I also appreciate the time you took to answer all of our questions with such patience and clarity. The workshop was not only well-organized but also engaging and enjoyable.” – FHANC Anonymous Client |
Join Our Corporate Advisory Board
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC) invites corporate professionals to join our Corporate Advisory Board and help advance fair housing, protect civil rights, and support underserved communities. We are seeking individuals with expertise in community engagement, housing, business development, marketing, fundraising, or technology. Board members do not need to be C-suite executives—what matters is a commitment to meaningful impact and equitable opportunity.
For more information on participation and time commitment, please contact Audrey Perrott, Development Director, at [email protected].
