Fair Housing

“Sebastian,” 75, and his wife, “Elena,” 74, came to JALA for help after the property manager at their HUD-subsidized apartment in Middleburg, Fla, told them they could not leave Elena’s power mobility device near the entrance to their apartment. She needs the scooter to get around, while Sebastian uses a walker, and the couple also have a wheelchair van to assist with their mobility. Due to their disabilities, both are only able to walk short distances at a time. Unfortunately, their apartment is on a long hallway, and when they leave home, they have a long walk to get to the elevator and then to the parking lot. Sebastian would park Elena’s scooter, get their van, and then help Elena into it. He would then usually leave the scooter somewhere close to the door, rather than bringing it all the way back to their unit.

“Chanel,” 72, was living in a privately owned HUD multifamily complex when her landlord retroactively increased her rent and threatened eviction if she did not pay in full. Fearing she would end up homeless, Chanel turned to JALA, where attorney Mollie Stewart handled her case. When increasing a tenant's rent, HUD requires all participating landlords to follow certain procedures, including proper notice of rent changes.

When “Marcy,” who has a disability, moved into a private apartment with her mother’s help, she had her emotional support dog with her. She later received a notice from her property manager saying that she had to pay a $500 pet fee. Although she notified the property manager that the dog was an emotional support animal and not a pet, she was still asked to pay the $500 pet fee.

“Lester,” a man in his 70s who had been renting his home for over 30 years, was surprised to receive a notice from his landlord saying he had 10 days to leave his home or else he would be evicted. His landlord claimed he owed $1,300, but Lester had always paid his rent on time. Afraid of losing his long-time home, made affordable to him through a federal rental subsidy, Lester came to JALA for help. Lester enjoyed the continuity of his home in a quiet neighborhood near his doctor’s appointments. He did not want to move.

“Jaquan,” who has a disability and lives in public housing, was having problems with the conditions of his apartment and that of his neighbor as the result of faulty air conditioning units. His own air conditioning unit filled up with mold and mildew, and his neighbor’s leaked down into his apartment through the ceiling and walls, causing further mold and mildew.

“Jonathan” was displaced from his home after it was destroyed in a fire. Through his insurance, his family was placed in an apartment complex while they decide whether to rebuild or move. Jonathan has physical disabilities, including quadriplegia, so he needed a number of modifications to the new apartment, including a keyless entry door lock, a Wi-Fi-capable thermostat, and a door handle to replace the knob on his back patio door. Unfortunately, he and his wife were unable to get permission from the property management to make the necessary modifications to the apartment.