mission

To protect and expand fair housing rights, eliminate housing discrimination, and promote integrated communities.

a year in review

Throughout 2019, the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research continued working hard to fulfill our commitment of protecting and expanding fair housing rights and eliminating housing discrimination, while also working to combat attempts to roll back fair housing protections at the federal, state, and local levels.

Over the past year, our Research team studied housing discrimination among survivors of domestic violence in Cuyahoga County and released Domestic Violence Survivor Housing Discrimination in Cuyahoga County, a report analyzing housing discrimination against survivors of domestic violence. The Fair Housing Center also released the 14th edition of the State of Fair Housing in Northeast Ohio.

Our Enforcement team worked with hundreds of residents around Northeast Ohio to protect and advocate on behalf of their fair housing rights. We continued to expand our advocacy efforts around source of income-based discrimination and criminal background denials through engagement with the County Housing Stakeholders Fair Housing Working Group and the Greater Cleveland Reentry Strategy Coalition. The Fair Housing Center handled 33 new agency cases in 2019 and continued work on another 33 ongoing agency cases. Seven agency cases were resolved directly by The Fair Housing Center. The Fair Housing Center filed 19 new charges of housing discrimination with administrative agencies for investigation. Advocates in the Enforcement Department conducted intakes for 235 new complaints of housing discrimination from individuals in the community. Increasing community awareness and referrals from community partners have resulted in consistently high numbers of complaints in recent years.

Our Education & Outreach team continued working to increase awareness and understanding of fair housing rights, connecting more people to our services. Through social media, outreach events, and fair housing seminars, we educated and engaged with a wide variety of audiences, including landlords, real estate professionals, service providers, students, and community members.

In these uncertain times when systems of inequality persist and civil rights are at stake, your support is essential to fulfilling our mission and goals. We thank you for your continued support, engagement, and advocacy. With your support, we can achieve our shared goals of protecting and expanding fair housing rights, eliminating housing discrimination, and promoting integrated communities.

Here's a snapshot of what we were up to in 2019...

CMHA recognized our agency with accountability award

Fair housing session presented at Social Justice Teach-In

FHCRR recognized as "Social Justice Advocates of the Year"

We launched the Voices of Fair Housing video series

With the help of videographer Craig Knowles and five amazing former clients, The Fair Housing Center released a video series in the fall of 2019, highlighting the voices and experiences of those who have faced housing discrimination and exercised their fair housing rights. Hear the rest of Willie's story and other inspiring stories like his at thehousingcenter.org/voices.

"The Lines Between Us" book tour came to Cleveland

Global Shapers took on the challenge of finding equitable solutions to housing barriers and inequality

research & reports

The Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research conducts recognized research on housing and lending patterns in Northeast Ohio. In 2019, The Fair Housing Center released the 14th edition of the State of Fair Housing in Northeast Ohio. This report illustrates regional patterns of segregation, analyzes fair housing complaints, and includes an outline of municipal fair housing ordinances throughout the region and identifies potential violations of fair housing law in local municipalities. Cleveland Scene covered the findings of the report.

The Fair Housing Center also released Domestic Violence Survivor Housing Discrimination in Cuyahoga County, a report analyzing housing discrimination against survivors of domestic violence. Using matched-paired testing, the report showed that more than one-third of survivors of domestic violence, who are more likely to be women, faced discrimination by landlords in the private rental market. The researchers administered surveys and conducted focus groups with survivors in partnership with The Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. One in five survivors who responded to the survey reported that they faced difficulty finding new housing and that multiple systems work to discourage survivors of domestic violence from contacting emergency services, including criminal activity nuisance ordinances, law enforcement, and child services. Surveyed survivors refrain from calling police concerning domestic violence for fear of eviction or that child services will remove their children from the home. Research Associate, Lenore Mangiarelli discussed this report with Ideastream.

advocacy & enforcement

education & outreach

financial statement

2019 Expenses

• Programs: $596,579
• Management & General: $30,826
• Development: $27,789
• Total Expenses: $655,194

2019 Revenues

• Program Income: $283,233
• Grant Income: $393,894
• Contribution Income: $29,385
• Fundraising events, net: $500
• Interest Income: $196
• Total Revenues: $707,208