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Newsletters

Below is an archive of our print newsletters by year, with both plain text and PDF versions available. Sign up to receive our print newsletters by sending your contact information to info@fhcmichigan.org. Sign up for our e-newsletters here.

Fall 2024

Legislative Fair Housing Updates in the State of Michigan In recent months, Michigan has seen significant updates to its fair housing laws, including amendments to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) and progress on source of income antidiscrimination bills. ELCRA Amendments: Expanded Protections Now in Effect This year, amendments to the ELCRA have broadened the […]


Fall 2023

Breakfast Event Celebrates Fair Housing Advancements and Challenges Our keynote speaker was John Reiman, the founder and managing partner of civil rights law firm Reiman Colfax. For more than 30 years, he has represented individual plaintiffs, cities, and civil rights organizations in many of the country’s most important civil rights cases and pioneered groundbreaking fair […]


Spring 2023

FHC Expands to Meet Community Needs The Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan’s staff is growing thanks to new grants from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the United Way of Washtenaw County, and the Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development’s New Human Services Partnership. With complaints to our office […]


Malahni Ngalle.

2020

FHC Files Four Lawsuits Based on Criminal Background and Race The Fair Housing Center has been working on issues related to criminal background and housing for several years now. In our 2014 newsletter we wrote about the nexus between race (particularly Black and Latino) and incarceration rates, and how that translated into housing inequities. Policies […]


Scott Lorms with his emotional support dogs.

2019

Need for Fair Housing Continues to Rise Yoder, FHC v. McDonell New Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Sarah Yoder contacted the Fair Housing Center in August 2018 to file a sexual harassment complaint against Ryan McDonell. Ms. Yoder says she was asked to do a striptease in exchange for negotiating a lower rent. Ms. Yoder, a 39-year-old […]


Richard Rothstein speaking at the 5th Annual Fair Housing Breakfast.

2018

New Fair Housing Lawsuit Filed Against MSU Sorority Kayla Hicks is suing Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) for denying her the right to live in her sorority with an emotional support animal (ESA) while she was a student at Michigan State University. According to the complaint taken by the Fair Housing Center in the fall of […]


Ms. Tankson on her wheelchair ramp.

2017

Tankson v Randolph Court FHC Settles Case for Wheelchair User Forced to Crawl into Home The Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan has assisted in the settlement of a housing discrimination lawsuit against Group Five Management Company and TG Properties LLC, the owners of Randolph Court Apartments in Ann Arbor. Sarah Tankson, who […]


Chelsae Lakin with her mother.

2016

No Section 8? No Way! FHC Challenges Discriminatory Zoning Code The Fair Housing Center filed a complaint with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) against Ypsilanti Township regarding the planned 398-unit Majestic Lakes subdivision. As a condition of the sale of the land to a developer, the Ypsilanti Township Board of […]


Three women of the Scott family smiling for a portrait.

2015

Scott v Swan Creek Paula Scott accepted a non-disclosed settlement to resolve her lawsuit against Swan Creek Mobile Home Community in Ypsilanti Township. In April 2014, the FHC took a complaint from Paula Scott. Ms. Scott was referred to the Fair Housing Center by Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM). Ms. Scott reported that […]


A hand holding a house key in front of a door.

2014

Case Updates $20,000 to Monroe Mom Discrimination Against Families with Kids Case Settles Cicily Pippens of Monroe has settled her housing discrimination lawsuit against landlord Mildred Trkula for $20,000, with assistance from the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan. Ms. Pippens contacted the Fair Housing Center in January 2013 to report that the agent at […]


A two story home with pumpkins on the porch steps.

2013

Discrimination against Kids A new fair housing case heads to Federal Court Cicily Pippens contacted the Fair Housing Center to report that the agent at a West Eighth Street property, in the City of Monroe, took a rental application out of her hands after the agent learned that Ms. Pippens has two children. The FHC […]


The top story of a house, set against a blue sky.

2012

Dear Friends, This year marks our 20th Anniversary! The Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit helped us get started in 1992 with a $20,000 grant from HUD. The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County officially opened for business on February 17, 1992. In 2002, we changed our name to the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern […]


Darrian being held by his mom in their backyard.

2011

Disability Advocacy a Top Priority for FHC Darrian Has Room to Play Reasonable modification Darrian Shaffer is a 35-month-old toddler who suffered from HSV Encephalitis, an illness that left him with a significant amount of brain damage. He is at the cognitive level of a 6-9 month old. Darrian’s disability impedes his understanding of language- […]


The facade of an apartment building.

2010

Lowrey & FHC v. Uptown in Canton Apartments Apartment Complex to Renovate 97 Units Largest-ever FHC settlement award; plaintiffs accept $272,500 In a landmark settlement, the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan has negotiated an agreement which will require the Uptown in Canton Apartments complex to renovate 97 first-floor units, in order to fully comply […]


Dawn Simpson and son Zander Davis.

2009

Thanks to a new grant, the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan (FHC) now provides services in Ingham, Jackson and Livingston counties. The 3-year grant funded under the HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program – Performance Based Funding Component (FHIP-PBFC) allows us to formally expand our enforcement area. We started by hiring Jasmine Cooper, our new […]


FHC Director Pamela Kisch and Harry Tyus. Photo courtesy of the Detroit Free Press.

2008

Tyus v Fairway Trails Tyus case pushes FHC over $1,000,000 mark When Harry Tyus accepted $50,000 to settle his claim against Fairway Trails Apartments, FHC aided settlements went over the $1,000,000 mark. The Tyus v Fairway Trails victory was a group effort involving the Fair Housing Center, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Washtenaw County […]


Samadai Caldwell holding her daughter in her arms.

2006

Frye v Keystone Management Group / Parkway Meadows Apartments $50,000 for Parkway Meadows TenantAnn Arbor Carol Frye asked the management of her complex for permission to install a ramp and roll-in shower at her own expense. “Your requests are denied” said the letter from Keystone. The management company said neither of the requests was possible. […]


The brick exterior of a home with a bright blue door.

2004

Mackey v Parkhill Apartments $11,500 Settles Race Discrimination Suit, Same Complex Sued in 1997 When Rashawnda and Marcus Mackey, an African-American couple, were denied an apartment at Parkhill Apartments, Ms. Mackey was suspicious. She contacted the Fair Housing Center to report the denial. FHC staff were familiar with Parkhill Apartments. In 1997, FHC assist­ ed […]


Shannon Moody and Robert Stowe.

2002

Moody and Stowe v Frey $20,000 Settles Gender Discrimination Case Two men, Shannon Moody and Robert Stowe, accepted $20,000 to settle their sex discrimination suit against Roland and Joan Frey of Ann Arbor. According to the suit, Roland and Joan Frey refused to rent their Potter Street apartment to two men. Moody and Stowe contacted […]


Five of the female plaintiffs of a case, posed with the discriminatory ad from the case.

2000

Coates et. al. v Myers et. al. $166,200 Settles Sex Harassment Suit On October 23, the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County announced the settlement of a civil action for sexual harassment, Coates et. al. v Myers et. al. The case began with a few women meeting with Fair Housing Center staff and ended with […]


Aerial view of a neighborhood, trees turning red and yellow.

1999

Coates et. al. v Myer Sexual Harassment/Race Discrimination Suit Filed They all answered the same ad: “FEMALE NEEDED. Elegant home, near WCC. Jacuzzi, laundry, $280+. 572-0724.” and now, Rachel Coates, Amanda Coffin, Erin Cuniffe, Cynthia Moening, Dawn Ottinger and Sarah Ruggles have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against their former landlords, Raymond Scott Myers and […]


A person handing a house key to another person as they grasp hands.

Fall 1998

Thomas v Parkhill Pamela Thomas has accepted $7,500 to settle her housing discrimination claim against Parkhill Apartments. According to the suit filed in February of 1997, Ms. Thomas was denied the rental of an apartment at 1932 Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti because she has children and children were prohibited from occupying apartments on all but […]


Stacey Faulk holding her daughter.

Winter 1998

Patterson v The Pines Is Settled: GO DEB! Deborah Patterson has at last settled her disability discrimination claim against The Pines of Cloverlane apartment complex for an undis­closed amount. Patterson’s initial request for modification to the door and sidewalk outside her building came in late 1994. Final work on the sidewalk wasn’t completed until the […]


Sarah Tankson.

1997

Tankson v Arbor Apartments Race and Disability Bias Suit Settled Sarah Tankson has accepted $5,000 to settle her suit against Thomas Robert Allmand, owner of Arbor Apartments. Tankson sued Allmand in 19951 claiming discrimination based on disability and race. Arbor Apartments are located at 3310 Packard at Fernwood. According to the suit, Arbor Apartments’ agents […]


Margaret Fairchild with her child on her knee.

Fall 1996

Lewis v Williamsburg Village Apartments $32,500 Settles Race Discrimination Case Sharon Lewis and Tyrone Tillison have accepted $32,500 to settle a race discrimination suit against Williamsburg Village Apartments in Lyon Township, Michigan. In April, 1995 Lewis, a white woman, contacted Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg about her housing discrimina­tion claim. Steinberg referred […]


Two front porches of a brick apartment building in the winter.

Summer 1996

Brannan v The Fourmidable Group $10,000 Settles Disability Suit When a water pipe burst in Phyllis Brannan’s apartment she asked the manager at Pine Valley Apartments to repair the damage one room at a time to accommodate her disability. They refused and Brannan, who had lived at Pine Valley for twenty-one years, was forced to […]


Janine Battistone with daugthers Laura and Lindsey.

Winter 1995

Battistone v Johnson Disability Case Settles Janine Battistone has settled her case against landlord David Johnson. The details of the settlement are undisclosed. Battistone sued Johnson claiming he violated the Michigan Handi­cappers’ Civil Rights Act by refusing to rent his first floor apartment to Battistone and her family because ten-year old Laura Battistone uses a […]


Aerial view of a neighborhood.

Spring 1995

Faulk v Maes In the fall of 1994Stacey Faulk accepted an undis­closed amount to settle her housing discrimination claim against Barbara Maes. According to the suit Ms. Faulk was denied the rental of an apartment at 943 W. Cross in Ypsilanti near the Eastern Michigan University campus because she has a baby. Testing by the […]


A two level apartment building with lawn and trees in front.

Fall 1994

The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County will hold our Third Annual Meeting for members on Tuesday, October 25, 1994 at the First Methodist Church located at 602 E. Huron at State St. in Ann Arbor. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a light buffet dinner. After the meeting and election of new […]


Tashie Hawkins and children Deon and Keana with Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg.

Spring 1994

Hawkins v Maplewood FHC Settles New Familial Status Case Tashie Hawkins settled her housing discrimination suit against Maplewood Apartments in March of 1994. The amount of the settlement is undisclosed, but includes funds for a down payment available for Hawkins to purchase a home. “I feel much better now that Maplewood has been penalized for […]


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