Our Services
Making fair housing happen
The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan operates with the belief that simply enforcing the laws is not enough to make fair housing a reality for everyone in our community. We take a proactive, holistic approach to our mission and provide comprehensive fair housing services in order to ensure equal housing opportunity and fair housing throughout our community. This approach is unique and we are amongst the only fair housing centers in the country to provide a mix of education, research, and advocacy. Each year we serve over 6,000 individuals through our education and outreach efforts, investigate over 100 cases of housing discrimination, and assist over 100 individuals in the resolution of fair housing complaints. We are sincerely committed to preventing housing discrimination in the first place, and we believe everyone -especially real estate agents, lenders, insurance agents, and landlords- can play a role.
Our Approach
Education
Preventing discrimination and promoting an open door to our community
- Building awareness of and support for fair housing in the general community
- Training landlords, realtors, and others on fair housing practices
- Connecting with community agencies so they apply fair housing to their work
Educational services include: providing fair housing trainings, events, workshops, book clubs, keynote and panel presentations; expert advice and best practices information and guides; fair housing brochure and material development; etc. Learn more.
Research
Monitoring the state of fair housing and identifying barriers to housing choice
- Tracking allegations of housing discrimination
- Surveying property marketing and other housing practices
- Testing the housing market with volunteer consumers for potential discrimination
Research services include: compliance and audit testing, special projects and reports, etc. Learn more.
Advocacy
Investigating discrimination and protecting housing choice
- Assisting individuals as they report housing discrimination
- Mediating alleged discrimination on behalf of individuals
- Resolving alleged discrimination so individuals regain housing choice
Advocacy services include: fair housing complaint intake, investigation, and resolution; assisting individuals with reasonable accommodation and modification requests; casework and advocacy on behalf of victims of illegal housing discrimination; etc. Learn more.
Equal Opportunity
It is the policy and practice of the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan that no person shall, on the ground of age, color, disability, familial status, genetic information, gender identification, height, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomics or weight, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any of its programs, services or activities.