Toledo / Ohio / United States
The Toledo Fair Housing Center was established in 1975 by the Old West End Neighborhoood Association in response to blockbusting and other housing discrimination practices. The community organized to fight discriminatory practices that were destroying Toledos neighborhoods ; the Center was organized as an effort to stop the discriminatory practices. The Center has been a leader in fair housing enforcement, having investigated over 9, 223 complaints of discrimination and recovered over $27 Million in damages. Its staff has conducted workshops for fair housing organizations, government agencies, and housing industry professionals. In addition, the Centers staff is regularly called upon by Congress to submit testimony regarding discriminatory housing practices. The Toledo Fair Housing Centers mission is to eliminate practices of housing discrimination and expand equal housing opportunities. In fulfilling that mission, the Center has set many precedents and increased housing opportunities locally and nationally. A partial list of the Centers achievements include: Toledo Fair Housing Center, et al. v. Nationwide Insurance Company: This complaint is the only complaint filed against an insurance company utilizing testing evidence. The complaint, which is pending in state court, alleges a myriad of fair housing violations based upon effectual and intentional arguments of discrimination. The Center was among the first to pioneer homeowners insurance testing and used its methodology during the investigation of this complaint. Grey, Wainer, and the Toledo Fair Housing Center v. P.K. Mobile Home Park: The Center worked closely with The Justice Department in this case which was the first to challenge certain illegal barriers against families with children. Federal Court set the precedent for acceptable standards for "significant services and facilities" for senior citizen housing complexes. Old West End Association v. Buckeye Federal Savings & Loan: The standards for establishing a prima facie neighborhood redlining complaint were decided in this case. Briceno, Klear, & Toledo Fair Housing Center v. United Guaranty Residential Insurance Company: The Center was the first to initiate litigation against and challenge the minimum insurance practices of a private mortgage insurance company in this case. The insurance company settled the complaint with a published monetary award and the abolishment of discriminatory policy not only in Toledo, but the entire country. This case compelled many other private mortgage insurance companies to abolish their minimum insurance standards and promoted cooperation between private mortgage insurance companies and neighborhood organizations. Shellhammer v. Lewallen: Prior to this complaint, sexual harassment was not considered a violation under the Fair Housing Act. The successful litigation of this complaint established sexual harassment as an explicit violation under the Fair Housing Act and has been used in countless other civil cases around the country including that of model Marla Hanson. The Center pioneered sexual harassment testing in this complaint. This is the only litigated sexual harassment complaint in the country substantiated by testing evidence. Toledo Fair Housing Center v. Lexington Apartments: The first fair housing settlement in the country to include free rental units for the homeless was a Toledo Fair Housing Center initiated complaint. Rudolph, et al. v. Tabener, et al.: The highest award in a racial harassment case was granted in this complaint. The award of $625, 000 was meant to serve as a sign that racial harassment would not be tolerated. One of the defendants in this case was also prosecuted in a criminal proceeding and served time for his crimes.
