California housing authorities crack down on Sacramento landlords breaking voucher law
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has selected Sacramento as the first county to launch an enforcement action to crack down on landlords who continue to illegally post advertisements that say they do no accept potential tenants with Section 8 vouchers.
A state law that took effect Jan. 1 prohibits landlords from discriminating against potential tenants who hold housing vouchers, either with the advertisement, on the phone, or in other ways.
The state’s decision to crack down on landlords came after a Sacramento Bee analysis found more than 60 advertisements for Sacramento-area rentals online last month that said “no Section 8,” referring to the former name for the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Many of the ads have since been removed, but on Tuesday, at least 19 Sacramento County ads were still on Craigslist that violated the law.
The department has so far sent letters to 22 Sacramento property managers and listing agents, said Fahizah Alim, department spokesperson. The department declined to disclose their names.
“It seemed appropriate to start in the county where our headquarters are located and where laws are made,” Alim said. “Sacramento County has a long history of concentration of poverty. We will expand the effort (to other counties) in coming weeks and months.”
If the landlords do not remove the ads within seven business days after getting the letter, the agency could file court actions such as lawsuits and injunctions, which could result in a full range of damages, including attorney’s fees, Alim said. Damages for violations of the Unruh Civil Rights Act are at least $4,000, Alim said.
In addition to making the ads illegal, the law, sponsored by Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, prohibits landlords from turning away tenants solely because they are using a housing voucher to pay a portion of their rent. Landlords can still deny applicants based on poor credit or rental history checks.
Voucher holders worry even when the ads come down, they will continue to be discriminated against for using a voucher, they told The Bee.
The voucher covers a portion of the monthly rent and utilities and tenants kick in about 30 to 40 percent of their monthly adjusted income to pay the rest.
Countywide, about 13,200 people have vouchers, according to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which administers the program locally. The last time the waiting list opened two years ago, 43,000 people applied, and 7,000 were placed on the waiting list.
To file a complaint against a landlord who is posting discriminatory advertisement or is turning down applicants because they hold housing vouchers, visit the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing website. Nonprofits Project Sentinel and Tenants Together are also asking for people to alert them to landlords breaking the law.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 11:47 AM.
