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News release

When It Comes to Housing Discrimination, MomsRising Wants Mothers to Know Their Rights!

June 13, 2011
Maternal Health

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Web Site Provides Information on What Mortgage Companies and Landlords Cannot Do
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a settlement agreement in a housing discrimination case with Cornerstone Mortgage Company  and announced that it is pursuing a case against the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation of Milwaukee. In both cases, the lenders discriminated against women because they were on maternity leave. This kind of discrimination is illegal under the Fair Housing Act. In addition to these two cases, HUD is investigating additional cases of illegal discrimination against pregnant women and mothers. Now, in conjunction with HUD, MomsRising.org, the online and on-the-ground grassroots organizations for moms and everyone who has a mom, is offering information on family status discrimination in housing.
 
A new page on the organization’s web site outlines situations in which mortgage companies and landlords cannot discriminate in lending or renting, including if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, are a single mother or you or another member of your family is a person of color.
 
The site also provides links to the National Fair Housing Alliance and the toll-free number for HUD, where people can seek assistance if they feel they have been discriminated against or have questions.
 
“We’ve been hearing from many moms about their experiences with housing discrimination over the last couple of years,” said MomsRising Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “Stories of women being denied mortgages because they’re on maternity leave or being told they can’t rent a certain home because they have children are appalling, but unfortunately, not at all uncommmon. We’re providing this information so that potential buyers and renters know what their rights are and what recourse they can take. We are extremely grateful to HUD for their commitment to ending this kind of discrimination once and for all.”
 
The web site clarifies that:
 
It’s illegal for a bank or mortgage company to deny a mother a home loan, to delay her loan, or to require a co-signer for the following reasons:
  • You are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  • You are a single mom
  • You are on maternity leave or are on short-term disability leave
  • You or a family member is a person of color
It’s illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to a mother for the following reasons:
  • You are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  • You are a single mom
  • You have a baby, child or teenagers (Or you have “too many children.”)
  • You have a disabled or special needs child
  • You or a family member is a person of color
  • The apartment has lead-based paint (Landlords are responsible for lead abatement before an apartment is put up for rent.)
John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, recently posted a blog on the MomsRising site about the agency’s commitment to ending pregnancy-related lending discrimination.
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.