Keenya Robertson is a fair housing advocate and the President of Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence (HOPE). She said “Something is not right,” per Yahoo News.
“People are being treated differently because they are from a different country. That is a violation of the Fair Housing Act,” Robertson said, according to Local 10 News.
It’s an issue that may not seem to some to be discriminatory, at first glance. But as one digs deeper, because a country of national origin is involved, it would be an apparent violation of the Fair Housing Act. The racial composition of those nations may also be perceived as a factor.
As years of articles published here on MHProNews by attorney Nadeen Green, JD – the “Fair Housing Lady” – advised manufactured home industry professional readers, the protected classes include: “Race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin,” as the National Association of Realtors™ (NAR) also states.
Lakeside Park Estates
“In order to become a part of Lakeside Park Estates, a 55-and-older community of mostly Canadians who come to Florida for the winter, a member must first fill out a rental application,” said Yahoo News’ report. “The first page of the application lists what applicants would be charged based on their background. U.S. residents are charged $50, and from there, the prices go up significantly. The highest application fee listed is for natives of Colombia, who are listed as being charged $175 per adult for an application.”
Lakeside Park Estates is owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network, as the sign in the photo below reflects. It is located just west of Interstate 95 on Pembroke Road in Pembroke Park, in Hollywood, Florida, explained the narrative by Local 10 News.
The property is a 55-and-older community reportedly made up of so-called ‘snow-birds’ who are mostly of Canadians, who winter in Florida.
The first page of the Lakeside Park Estates application spells out what you’ll be charged to process their application. That document states that a U.S. resident would pay $50. But a Colombian would pay $175 per person.
Robertson has been a fair housing advocate for approaching a quarter of a century, and she said, “I have never seen anything like it.”
Equality under the law means just that, say the experts. Investors? Manufactured home community owner/operators? Is a property you are involved in committing some blatant or subtle form of discrimination? Bear in mind the related report, below the by line, which will be updated with a planned follow up soon. Stay tuned.
MH Industry Pro Takeaways?
In the meantime, it can be less costly to double check your paperwork and procedures, than it is to face litigation with individuals, fair housing advocates, state agencies, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Bear in mind that in some states there are additional protected classes, as Green has previously said.
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Facts are at times uncomfortable. At others times, the realities of life are truly a puzzle. What follows is arguably the single-most covered topic in the mainstream news media involving mobile or manufactured home living at this time.
