The Evolution of Civil Rights- Part 2

All this week, in commemoration of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. NHPR is looking at civil rights law. During King?s lifetime, civil rights was usually considered a Black/White issue. But the term has since broadened. In part two of our series, NHPR?s Dan Gorenstein visits with a Manchester woman who was kicked out of her apartment because her family grew.

1:18 landlord who wanted to charge more b/c they have children. Landlords who don?t want to rent ot families with children, and make excuses. Landlords who want ot segregate families with children to particular floor, or particular development, to segregate the kids. Those are illegal. Can?t segregate families with children anymore than you can say we have apartment blds for blacks.

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:11 there are federal laws that protect people from discrimination in housing, those statutes are protected by Housing and Urban Development. Our state statute covers housing as well?We find it is a problem, that is probably the commonest problem we get in housing. People were refused an apartment or treated differently b/c they had children.

PICTURE THIS: A NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE AND A SON FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE ARE HAPPILY LIVING IN A MANCHESTER APARTMENT. ONE AUTUMN DAY, THE MOTHER COMES HOME FROM THE HOSPITATL, AFTER DELIVERING A BEAUTIFUL BABY DAUGHTER. THE MOTHER AND FATHER ONE DAY WANT TO OWN THEIR OWN HOME. AND BECAUSE THE STARS ARE SMILING, THEY ARE BLESSED WITH A RENT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO SAVE FOR THE DOWNPAYMENT.

THE BIRDS ARE SINGING, THE CLOUDS OF WINTER ARE BREAKING, AND THE PROUD PARENTS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHILD?S FIRST SPRING WHEN A LETTER ARRIVES IN THE MAILBOX.

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:12 please be advised we will not be renewing your leases. The last day of your lease will be April 31st, 1999. Yours very truly.

THE NEWS WAS ABRUPT.

:55 we were looking, and we didn?t know what to do. We felt an urgency to get out, we only had 30 days. I just had a C section, I am just recooperating, I am not feeling that great, and having to worry about having to move, relocate my son from school.

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2:54 once that emotional period was over, I became a fighter, and I was like there has to be someone to help us with this, I am not leaving without a fight.

1:58 So I contacted NH Legal Assistance, we met with one of their attorneys, and she took our statements, and referred us to HUD.

5:10 when HUD became involved, we had to supply all our documentation, they had to supply all theirs, and it kept going back and forth, and HUD was like, ?how much will you settle for??

MARY DIDN?T WANT TO SETTLE. SHE WANTED TO PREVENT HER LANDLORD FROM DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ANOTHER FAMILY.

HUD CASEWORKERS EXPLAINED THERE WAS A CHANCE THE FAMILY MIGHT NOT GET WHAT IT WANTED. BUT SUGGESTED THEY REMAIN IN THE APARTMENT. THEY SAID IT LOOKED BETTER. BUT THE FAMILY WANTED OUT.

1:48 we waited, and we packed, and we looked for a place to live. And now we are into it 60 days.

THE $900 DOLLAR A MONTH RENTS THE FAMILY FOUND WERE WELL BEYOND THEIR PRICE RANGE. SO WHEN THE ANNIS? STUMBLED ACROSS A PLACE FOR $6 SOMETHING A MONTH, THEY MOVED. BUT IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE THEY HAD HEARD FROM HUD.

5:10 So I called them, and finally got a hold of a supervisor. And he said he would reassign the case. The case wasn?t even reassingned, and we are talking months.

AFTER ALL THAT TIME, HUD WAS STILL PUSHING SETTLEMENT. THE ANNIS?WOULD RECEIVE $1100 DOLLARS. SHE WAS DONE.

2:53 it takes up a lot of your life and it gets to a point that you want it over with. So you do settle.

IT WAS AN UNAPPEALING OPTION. IN A LETTER TO HUD MARY WROTE:

5:50 ?while I don?t feel justice will be served for my family, or any other family, in need to housing, by settling this matter without finding, is with a heavy heart I do so.

HER HEAVY HEART COMES FROM ONE PARAGRAPH.

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1:38 Where they talk about in the preamble under the titile the civil rights act of ?68 they put in a paragraph of general provisions, it is understood that this agreement does not constitute an admission by the respondents of any violation of that title of the civil rights act, as amended by fair housing act of ?88.

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9:34 I am still upset that I let this go, that I had to settle, b/c I would have liked them to have a finding, that they were guilty of evicting us b/c of a child?b/c then I felt like another family would never have to go through this again?I thought if there was a finding, there would at least be one realator who wouldn?t do this again.