HUD: Hazleton housing agency discriminated by making Latinos provide own interpreters

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WASHINGTON, D.C. &#8212; The Hazleton Housing Authority must pay $14,000, give sensitivity training to employees and hire bilingual staff after allegedly making Spanish-speaking families provide their own interpreters.The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today a Conciliation Agreement with the authority, settling allegations the authority discriminated against Hispanic households.The agreement resolves claims that the authority violated the housing rights of Spanish-speaking applicants and tenants by requiring them to supply interpreters in order to communicate with housing authority staff and by denying them limited English proficiency services.The case came to HUD&#8217;s attention when six Latino families represented by the Community Justice Project, a nonprofit public interest law firm serving Pennsylvania, complained that the authority subjected Latino applicants and residents to different rental terms and conditions in violation of the Fair Housing Act.In addition, the complaints alleged the authority denied limited English proficiency services to Spanish-speaking individuals in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The families who filed complaints are public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients, tenants and applicants for housing with limited English.&#8220;When housing authorities accept HUD funding, they are obligated to make their programs and services accessible to individuals who have limited English proficiency,&#8221; said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. &#8220;HUD is committed to ensuring that all eligible families have an equal opportunity to take advantage of this important source of affordable housing and today&#8217;s agreement advances that goal.&#8221;Under the terms of the agreement, the housing authority will provide the Community Justice Project with a monetary settlement of $14,000 that will be distributed among the residents who filed complaints, and $4,000 for attorney&#8217;s fees.The authority also will provide services for complainants and others with limited English proficiency, including interpretation and translation for persons who visit, write or call the authority about housing or HUD&#8217;s Housing Choice Voucher Program.The authority must also have at least one bilingual Spanish-speaking employee available during regular business hours, and hire at least one bi-lingual Spanish-speaking front-line person at each authority property as soon as future vacancies occur.Housing authority employees must undergo fair housing and cultural sensitivity awareness training, and the housing authority will promote its language access services and the availability of housing to members of the Latino community when its wait list opens.In addition, the housing authority can no longer require applicants and residents to use family or friends as interpreters, including children under the age of 18.More specifically, according to the agreement, the authority must remove signs posted at its properties that requests tenants and applicants to bring an interpreter and shall place a new sign that reads: &#8220;Do you need an interpreter? If so, the Hazleton Housing Authority will provide one at no charge. Please notify a Hazleton Housing Authority staff member and an interpreter will be provided.&#8221;The new signs must be in English and Spanish.