Mississippi’s legal history is ripe with discrimination, particularly when it comes to housing practices and policies. By leveraging the Fair Housing Act and a fair housing testing team, the Center has investigated forty allegations of housing discrimination, resulting in eight fair housing complaints to HUD and three negotiated resolutions of requests for reasonable accommodations for clients with disabilities. It has also provided Fair Housing Act education at Jackson State and the University of Mississippi, and trained community leaders in eight isolated rural communities to identify local examples of Fair Housing Act violations for referral to the Center.
Since 2018, we’ve filed 50 administrative actions to HUD on behalf of people in Mississippi who have alleged discrimination. We have received over $100K in money damages, and obtained collateral relief to properties including titles.
Additionally, MCJ has used the Fair Housing Act to challenge exclusionary zoning ordinances which have the effect of preserving patterns of racial segregation throughout the state, including the City of Ridgeland’s exclusionary ordinance directed towards affordable multi-family housing, preserving 1500 units for primarily Black and LatinX residents.
In some cases we obtained cancelation of indebtedness and transfers of deeds, such as in the Dolores Robertson’s case. To hear Ms. Robertson’s story, click here.
For an overview of the Fair Housing Act, click here.
To support our fair housing enforcement project, click here.
For assistance with a fair housing issue, click here.