Press Release from: IOWA CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3-29-96

Contact Person: Don Grove, Executive Director, 515-281-8084

Iowa Civil Rights Commission Conducts Housing Tests in Keokuk

In February 1996, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) conducted 17 housing tests in the City of Keokuk, Iowa. The tests showed 3 possible violations of state and federal antidiscrimination laws.

The ICRC has tested 43 communities under the current testing program. The results so far indicate 124 possible violations out of 798 tests.

In these tests the ICRC evaluated whether race, presence of children or disability affected the availability of units, caused different treatment of applicants, or was the reason some applicants were discouraged from applying. The testers contacted landlords and Realtors by phone and in person to inquire about the availability of housing.

Three tests showed possible different treatment because the tester had children. In one test the property manager told the tester, "we do not rent to people with children in this section here." In another test the manager told the tester, "we don't put them [children] upstairs. We don't have any downstairs [units] at all. We have one upstairs but we don't like to put kids upstairs because of the noise that it causes them downstairs."

Iowa Code § 216.8(l) prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent to persons with children and Iowa Code § 216.8(3) prohibits a landlord from discouraging persons with children from considering their property. Also Federal Law prohibits a landlords from restricting families with children from certain areas of a housing complex or from certain floors.

Landlords should let prospective tenants decide if the property is suitable.

The cities tested include Algona, Altoona, Anamosa, Ankeny, Boone, Carroll, Centerville, Charles City, Cherokee, Clear Lake, Clive, Coralville, Creston, Decorah, Denison, Des Moines, Estherville, Fairfield, Ft. Dodge, Grinnell, Independence, Indianola, Keokuk, Knoxville, Le Mars, Manchester, Maquoketa, Muscatine, Nevada, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pella, Perry, Sioux Center, Sioux City, Spencer, Storm Lake, Urbandale, Vinton, Waverly, Webster City, Windsor Heights.