July 13, 2016 | Categories: Familial Status, Rental
Grand Rapids, MI – Today, the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan (FHCWM), the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI), the Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan (FHCSEM), the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan (FHCSWM) and the Central Ohio Fair Housing Association (COFHA) announce that they have filed a fair housing complaint against AMP Residential, an Indianapolis-based property management company that owns and operates over 8,000 rental housing units in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Alabama. The groups allege that AMP has engaged in systemic discrimination against families with children across 20 properties evaluated in three states.
“It’s been over 20 years since the federal Fair Housing Act was amended to protect families from discrimination,” said Amy Nelson, FHCCI’s Executive Director. “It’s disappointing and frustrating that we still find housing providers enacting written policies to prevent families with children from enjoying their right to equal housing.”
In the filed complaint, AMP Residential is alleged to have a stated occupancy standard of no more than two people per bedroom in each apartment or townhome, regardless of the unit’s square footage or whether that unit has a den, office, or other feature that could provide an additional bedroom or living area for a child. AMP enforces this policy without regard to local health and property maintenance codes that state the square footage required for each occupant. In each of the 20 properties named in the complaint, AMP was found to have denied housing to families with children despite the apartments having ample square footage for the family size to be allowed by local codes. Not only were the families prohibited from living in a particular unit, many were denied from the complex all together due to their family size.
FHCWM, FHCCI, FHCSEM, FHCSWM, and COFHA conducted a joint systemic investigation into the AMP properties located in their respective states. The complaint alleges that 20 apartment complexes were found to have unlawfully refused to rent units to families with children. Such overly restrictive occupancy standards impact the ability of families with children to find affordable, safe housing in neighborhoods of their choice.
“Often, investigations into housing discrimination uncover subtle and difficult to detect unlawful behavior,” stated Nancy Haynes, Executive Director of FHCWM. “Each test that we performed at an AMP property, however, ended in a clear and blatant statement from an employee that a family with children was not permitted to rent the unit that they had inquired about. This is not only unacceptable, it’s illegal.”
The properties named in the complaint are: Addison Place and North Park (Evansville, IN); Edison Pointe (Mishawaka, IN); Runaway Club (Delta Township, MI); 43 North and Timberview (Grand Haven Township, MI); Aspen Lakes, Central Park Place, Ridgewood, and Wyndham Hill (Grand Rapids, MI); River Club (Holland Township, MI); Waverly Place (Kalamazoo, MI); Glen Oaks East, Woodbridge and Woodland Creek (Kentwood, MI); Country Place and Stone Crest (Mount Pleasant, MI); Spring Brook (Laketown Township, MI); The Valley (Plainfield Township, MI); and Muirwood Village (Columbus, OH).
“Where a family lives dictates the parents’ access to employment, the children’s access to good schools, and the family’s access to grocery stores, healthcare, and other vital services,” said Jim McCarthy, President and CEO of the Central Ohio Fair Housing Association. “AMP Residential’s refusal to rent to families with children is a deliberate denial of their right to choose the community that best serves their needs.”
The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan is a private, non-profit fair housing organization founded in 1980 and located in Grand Rapids, MI. Its mission is to prevent and eliminate illegal housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity. More information on FHCWM at: www.fhcwm.org
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) is a private, nonprofit fair housing organization founded in 2011 and based in Indianapolis, IN. Its mission is to ensure equal housing opportunities by eliminating housing discrimination through advocacy, enforcement, education and outreach. More information on FHCCI at: www.fhcci.org
The Fair Housing Center of Southeast and Mid-Michigan (FHCSEM) is a private, non-profit fair housing organization founded in 1992 and serving mid- and southeastern Michigan. Its mission is to end discrimination in housing and public accommodations and to promote accessible, integrated communities. More information on FHCSEM at www.fhcmichigan.org
The Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan (FHCSWM) is a private, non-profit organization established in 2001 and based on Kalamazoo, MI. Its mission is to promote integration and eliminate housing discrimination. More information on FHCSWM at www.fhcswm.org
The Central Ohio Fair Housing Association (COFHA) is a private, non-profit fair housing organization headquartered in Columbus, OH. Its mission is to eliminate housing discrimination and ensure equal housing opportunity for all people in their region. More information on COFHA at: www.cofha.com