The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) hosted a Savannah roundtable for community members and organizations as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.
“Sexual harassment or abuse by a landlord is never acceptable,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our office will continue to vigorously pursue justice and compensation for vulnerable tenants who endure such predatory behavior.”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment without fear of being sexually harassed or assaulted by their landlord or anyone in a position of power over their housing,” said HUD Inspector General Oliver Davis. “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Steinberg for hosting this summit today. My office remains committed to working with her to hold accountable those who would prey on vulnerable tenants and housing applicants.”
Held at the Chatham County Library on Bull Street, the roundtable’s participants included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and HUD OIG, and representatives from fair housing organizations and related service providers.
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act. Sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, and others with power over housing often affects the most vulnerable populations – single parents, individuals who have financial difficulties, and people who have suffered sexual violence in the past. These individuals often do not know where to turn for assistance.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department’s initiative seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of its enforcement efforts – both among survivors and those they may report to – and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia collaborates with the Civil Rights Division to raise awareness of the options that are available to help individuals experiencing sexual harassment in housing. Community organizations, such as legal services offices, fair housing organizations, domestic violence advocates, shelters, and transitional housing providers, can identify the misconduct and recommend reporting to the Justice Department, HUD and HUD OIG.
The Justice Department brings cases each year involving egregious conduct, including allegations that defendants have exposed themselves sexually to current or prospective tenants, requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures. To date, the Justice Department has filed 42 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17 million for victims of such harassment through the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia secured a $600,000 settlement with a Savannah-area landlord to resolve allegations that he sexually harassed and retaliated against his female tenants for more than 15 years.
If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation in housing – even if the events occurred years ago – report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline. You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint.
