Letter to the editor: Housing and Urban Development tackles sexual discrimination

No discrimination

Two women were compelled to move from an apartment complex when a maintenance worker told them they could exchange sex for rent. A landlord entered a woman’s apartment uninvited, and on one occasion the woman awoke to find him in her bedroom, on her bed. Another woman was threatened with eviction if she didn’t have sex with her landlord.

At the Department of Housing and Urban Development Great Plains Region, we take action when we hear these stories in our office. We were instrumental in helping these two women in Kansas file complaints alleging that the landlord made unwanted sexual advances toward them, harassed them, made derogatory statements based on race and evicted them because they refused his advances. In January, the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas settled their sexual harassment lawsuit.

HUD has declared its theme for this Fair Housing Month 2020: “Call HUD, Because Sexual Harassment in Housing is Illegal.” The goal is to increase the department’s efforts to better educate the public on what behaviors constitute sexual harassment and what to do and whom to contact if people experience it in their communities.

Individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination, including sexual harassment in housing, can file complaints by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY). Housing discrimination complaints can also be filed at hud.gov/fairhousing.

- Jason Mohr, regional administrator, HUD Great Plains Region, Kansas City, Kansas