Press Release from: IOWA CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7-31-95
Contact Person: Don Grove, Executive Director, 515-281- 8084
Iowa Civil Rights Commission Conducts Housing Tests in Spencer
On July 21 and 22, 1995 the
Iowa Civil Rights Commission (Commission) conducted 14 housing tests in
the City of Spencer, Iowa. The tests showed 1 possible violation of state
and federal anti-discrimination laws.
The Commission has tested 14 communities under the current testing program.
In these tests the Commission evaluated whether race, presence of children
and 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.
One test showed possible different treatment of the tester because of the
presence of children. In this case the tester inquired about a one bedroom
for herself and her daughter. The manager told the tester, "Well, we
don't have any children there. It's an upstairs apartment." and "...
it makes it kind of hard because it bothers people if we have people running
up and down stairs you know and you can't expect children not too."
The manager went on to say, "But we might have a 1 bedroom unfurnished
that would work." The apartment that she referred the tester to was
in a different apartment complex and was a first floor apartment.
Federal Regulation (24 C. F. R. § 100.70(c)(4)) prohibits a landlord
or owner from restricting families with children from certain areas of a
housing complex or from certain floors. Apartment managers may not segregate
families with children to downstairs apartments or to certain buildings
within an apartment complex.
The cities tested to date include Altoona, Ankeny, Cherokee, Clive, Coralville,
Estherville, Grinnell, Knoxville, Le Mars, Nevada, Sioux Center, Sioux City,
Spencer and Storm Lake. The results so far indicate 43 possible violations
out of 243 tests.