Key Fair Housing Events
CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE FHC/FHCMD
| 5/15/72 | First meeting held of the Agency Coalition to End Discrimination in Housing, the predecessor organization that had, as its major goal, the establishment of a fair housing center in the metropolitan Detroit area. |
| 4/5/77 | Articles of Incorporation for the Fair Housing Center were filed and received by the State of Michigan. Incorporators were: Joyce Mittenthal, Barbara Drake and Paula Tobocman. |
| 4/18/77 | FHC entered into its first contract: to participate in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Housing Market Practices Survey, the nation's first social science study of the quality and quantity of racial discrimination in the nation's rental and sales housing markets. Joyce Mittenthal was selected by FHC as Supervisor for the project. FHC has entered into 14 additional contracts for fair housing services with HUD. |
| 9/20/77 | FHC entered into the first of over thirty-five contracts to provide fair housing services to Wayne County. |
| 10/13/77 | FHC conducted its first major "Fair Housing Conference" as part of its first Wayne County contract. Over 300 persons were in attendance, with over 40 fair housing speakers from throughout the United States. A summary of the conference, Fair Housing Alternatives - From Promise To Reality was published by FHC following conference. |
| 11/9/77 | FHC Cooperating Attorney Noel J. Saleh filed the first housing discrimination lawsuit that was supported by FHC testing evidence: Barnett v Goquicolay. The racial discrimination case was tried before Federal Judge Ralph B. Guy, who ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, spoke highly of the testing evidence, and awarded $2,500 in damages to the plaintiffs. |
| 2/79 | FHC published the first edition of Fair Housing News. Eighty-four editions later the newsletter is now distributed to over 8.800 addresses and has become the key source for fair housing information in the southeast Michigan area. |
| 6/79 | FHC published its first Referral Guide for housing related inquiries in Oakland County as part of its first fair housing contract with Oakland County. Several revisions of the Guide have been completed as part of several of the sixteen other fair housing services contracts entered into by FHC with Oakland County. The Referral Guide has proven so useful that Wayne County has included provisions for the publication of a similar guide for Wayne County in two of its contracts with FHC . |
| 9/4/81 | FHC Cooperating Attorney, and now Federal Judge, Victoria A. Roberts filed the first case in which FHC was the named plaintiff: FHC v Hartman and Tyner. The U.S. Department of Justice also filed suit, using the same testing evidence. The case settled, with standard "affirmative" agreements and payment of $52,000 to FHC. |
| 10/82 | After a full trial Federal Judge Avern Cohn awarded $30,000 to the FHC assisted plaintiffs in Shaw v Cassar. The plaintiffs, Donald Shaw and Donna Moore Shaw were represented by FHC Cooperating Attorney David Wenger. Judge Cohn's written opinion has become one of the more frequently cited rulings in housing discrimination case law. |
| 5/2/84 | FHC received the first of four annual grants from The Joyce Foundation to assist in the organization and development of other private non-profit, enforcement oriented, fair housing organizations in Michigan. Development assistance was provided to FHC-Grand Rapids, and new groups were organized in Lansing, Muskegon, Tri-County (Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties), Jackson and Washtenaw County. |
| 10/28/86 | At its Annual Meeting FHC changed its name to the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit (FHCMD). |
| 6/15/87 | FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Mark Magidson negotiated a $4,500 settlement in the first known litigated complaint in Michigan alleging fair housing violations of the marital status provisions of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (Grassel & Novak v Seligman). |
| 6/26/87 | FHCMD published Local Fair Housing Center Organizing Instructions and Materials. This 430 page guidebook has been used by hundreds of private fair housing groups throughout the U.S. to organize and/or assist in the development of private, non-profit fair housing organizations. |
| 10/29/87 | The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit granted a new trial in Trice v Lake and Country, overturning a jury decision in favor of the defendants. The case was successfully argued before the Court of Appeals by FHCMD Cooperating Attorney, Thomas L. Stanley, and was settled with a payment of $30,000 to the plaintiffs shortly after the Court of Appeals' ruling. |
| 6/3/88 | The $85,000 jury award in Smith v Crystal Lake Apartments lifted the total financial recovery for 106 FHCMD concluded lawsuits to over $1,000,000. FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Benjamin Whitfield, Jr., assisted by Michael Olshan, J.D., represented Doris Smith before Hon. George E. Woods. |
| 12/15/88 | FHCMD Cooperating Attorney John Obee negotiated a $33,000 settlement for John Hanna and David Allen in FHC's first assisted lawsuit involving claims of housing discrimination against persons with disabilities (Allen & Hanna v Kensington Heights). |
| 4/89 | FHCMD participated in the second national HUD funded study to identify levels of unlawful housing discrimination in the nation's rental and sales housing markets. Karen Moore headed the data gathering (testing) activities for FHCMD. |
| 8/1/90 | FHCMD began work on the first of nineteen contracts with HUD under the Fair Housing Initiatives Program. The 1990 contract carried the FHCMD annual budget above $100,000 for the first time since it was organized in 1977. |
| 11/90 | FHCMD completed a Fair Housing Needs Analysis for Waterford Township. The Analysis is required by HUD of communities that participate in its Community Development Block Grant and several other housing related programs. Subsequently, FHCMD completed all, or portions of, the Fair Housing Needs Analysis for: Oakland County, Wayne County, the State of Michigan, the City of Dearborn, the City of Dearborn Heights, the City of Warren, the City of St. Clair Shores, the City of Sterling Heights, Clinton Township and Canton Township. |
| 12/30/91 | The U.S. Department of Justice, in recognition of the excellent testing conducted under the supervision of FHCMD's Marvin Thomas, selected FHCMD for its first contract to implement its new fair housing testing program. Tests conducted under that $24,000 contract, and under a second $24,000 contract, resulted in the filing of eight housing discrimination lawsuits by DOJ. Settlements in those eight cases produced over $1,900,000 for the plaintiffs. |
| 4/8/94 | FHC Cooperating Attorney, and now Federal Judge, Victoria A. Roberts, assisted by FHC Board members and Board Chairperson, Phillip Cody, negotiated a $300,000 settlement of a racial discrimination lawsuit filed in 1992 by FHC. In addition to the financial recovery, the lawsuit prompted very positive changes by the defendants, The Fourmidable Group. |
| 6/25/95 | FHC published $20,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1994), the first of a series of 16 booklets that have provided summaries of lawsuits filed in the U. S. since 1990 that were assisted by fair housing centers that are members of the National Fair Housing Alliance. Succeeding titles, noting the cumulative total of the financial recovery for plaintiffs from those lawsuits have been: $30,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1995); $50,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1996); $95,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1997); $115,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1998); $160,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 1999) and $170,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2000); $180,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2001); $190,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2002); $205,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2003); $215,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2004); $225,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2005); $245,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2006); $255,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2007); $275,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2008); $380,000,000 and Counting (1990 - 2009). |
| 8/30/95 | A Federal jury awarded James Stevenson $130,000 in a case involving the denial of a mortgage on a property in Detroit (Stevenson v Towne Mortgage). The case was one of the few mortgage cases ever filed under the Federal Fair Housing Act and one of less than six such cases in the nation to proceed through trial to a decision by a jury. FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Stephen Tomkowiak represented Mr. Stevenson. |
| 9/95 | Audra Carson and nine other plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit against Flagstar Bank (Carson et al v Flagstar), alleging discrimination against African Americans and/or persons who were seeking mortgages for properties in African American communities. The plaintiffs were represented by FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Stephen Tomkowiak. Six additional persons later joined the lawsuit, along with the FHCMD. Several of the plaintiffs were dismissed, with the remaining cases separated into three groups: the persons who sought mortgages from Flagstar Bank; the FHCMD; and a complaint from an appraiser, Denise Muckenhirn. The FHCMD case was settled, with Flagstar agreeing to many affirmative provisions and the payment of $300,000 to the FHCMD; the Muckenhirn case went through full trial and then was settled, before a verdict was rendered, with an agreement by Ms. Muckenhirn to dismiss the complaint; and the mortgage applicant case resulted in a jury award of $700,000 for two African American couples along with the dismissal of the complaints from three African American single persons. Flagstar appealed the jury award and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on March 19, 2002 overturned the award to one couple (a statute of limitations issue) and upheld the award to the second couple. |
| 4/96 | FHC began a series of fair housing seminars with Wayne State University Law School that has included regular presentations on fair housing laws to WSU students; a series of fair housing programs for rental firms, sales firms and attorneys; the production of a training video for use with attorneys and potential witnesses in housing discrimination lawsuits; and, most recently (in 2001), a successful application from the WSU law school for funding from HUD to conduct a fair housing educational program; the conduct of a fair housing Symposium in 2005 that included publication of presentations made at the Symposium in The Wayne Law Journal; conduct of a fair housing testing Symposium in 2008; the conduct of a fair housing testing Symposium that included publication of presentations made at the Symposium in The Urban Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association. Working closely with FHCMD staff on these projects has been Professor Emeritus Otto Hetzel and Professor John Mogk. |
| 10/1/96 | The FHCMD began an 18 month HUD funded "mentoring" project with the Nebraska Fair Housing Center. This unique HUD program matched experienced FHCs with new FHCs in an effort to help ensure high quality fair housing investigations and other activities by the new groups. The Nebraska group, headed by Gary Fisher, Esq., has continued to be a very effective private, non-profit, fair housing organization. |
| 2/3/97 | Arbitrator William M. Saxton ordered the owners and developers of Henry Ford Village to implement a $469,000 affirmative marketing plan and pay FHCMD $100,000 to resolve a discrimination in advertising lawsuit filed by FHCMD in July, 1995 (FHCMD v HFV). FHCMD Cooperating Attorney, John Obee assisted by Attorney Pramada Reddy and by FHCMD Board members, including Emily Hall, Noel Saleh and Louistine Larry, negotiated the award. The $100,000 award to FHCMD brought the total amount of financial recovery for plaintiffs in FHCMD assisted lawsuits to well over $5,000,000. |
| 8/27/97 | The State Bar of Michigan dedicated a plaque in honor of the 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sipes v McGhee that ruled "racially restrictive covenants" (deed restrictions) could not be enforced by U.S. Courts. The plaque was placed in the Charles Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Reginald McGhee, grandson of the African American family that prevailed in the lawsuit, was subsequently elected to the FHCMD Board of Directors. |
| 10/27/98 | The FHCMD sponsored its Inaugural Fair Housing Leadership Awards Reception, recognizing people in housing related industries who have taken concrete and affirmative steps to further fair housing opportunities. The original Reception has been followed by twelve other Receptions. |
| 12/22/98 | The Michigan Supreme Court held that the "marital status" provisions in Michigan's fair housing law do protect unmarried couples who wish to reside together (McCready/Kerr v Hoffius and Baiz/Perusse v Hoffius). FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Henry Stancato prepared an Amici Curiae ("friend of the court") brief on behalf of FHCMD supporting the inclusion of "unmarried couples" under the "marital status" provision. Two months later a newly constituted Michigan Supreme Court held that the "marital status" provisions may be in conflict with constitutional freedom of religion provisions and ordered the case remanded for further hearings on that issue. A subsequent Circuit Court ruling in favor of the religious defense of the landlord was not been appealed, the case is closed. |
| 5/2000 | The FHCMD participated in the third HUD funded national study of unlawful housing discrimination in the nation's rental and sales housing markets. Jamilah Humphrey and Laura Graham (Dudley) headed the FHCMD's data gathering activities. |
| 5/2000 | A Federal jury awarded Cynthia Szwast and her two children a record setting $403,000 in damages in her "familial status" discrimination lawsuit against the owners of a Warren apartment complex (Szwast v Carlton Apartments). Federal Judge John Feikens later reduced the award to $30,000 and attorney fees, with the parties subsequently agreeing to a $42,500 settlement. FHCMD Cooperating Attorney Regina Meo represented the very successful plaintiffs in this matter. |
| 6/26/01 | The FHCMD was presented a Closing the Gap award in the area of Racial Justice and Cultural Collaboration by New Detroit, Inc. Former FHC Advisory Committee and Board member, Kathryn Bryant Harrison, nominated FHC for the award. |
| 4/20/02 | The FHCMD celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a "Hustle for Fair Housing" celebration at the Roostertail Restaurant in Detroit. |
| 2/14/04 | The FHCMD was saddened at the death of Marvin Thomas, FHCMD Coordinator of Investigations and Testing from 1980 - 2004. Marv was remembered as one of the most effective fair housing groups housing discrimination complaint investigators in the U.S., and was remembered as a trusted friend and leader by FHCMD testers, co-workers, Board members and friends of fair housing. Subsequently, the FHCMD Board of Directors established the Marvin Thomas Service Award to honor retired FHCMD testers who provided extraordinary service to the cause of fair housing through their activities as a tester. Former FHCMD tester, Albert Young, was then hired to be the FHCMD's Coordinator of Investigations and Testing. |
| 9/2004 | FHCMD Cooperating Attorney, Steve Tomkowiak, was selected to be one of the instructors at HUD's Patricia Harris National Fair Housing Academy. In that capacity, Attorney Tomkowiak has trained hundreds of state and local fair housing agency employees on housing discrimination complaint investigation procedures. |
| 11/4/04 | FHCMD staff were invited by Professors Saul A. Green and Judith Levy to conduct a fair housing class for the law school students they are instructing at the University of Michigan Law School. Similar invitations have been extended to FHCMD staff for each of the subsequent fair housing classes taught by Professors Green and Levy. In 2007 Professors Green and Levy added a fair housing tour of Detroit to the class agenda, with FHCMD staff serving as tour guides for the 6 hour tour. |
| 4/2005 | The FHCMD filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the owners of Whispering Woods Apartments in Livonia. The FHCMD after being alerted to the discriminatory practices by Bob Beale, President of Premier Property Management, conducted a series of fair housing tests that prompted the litigation. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice joined the action and, after two years of litigation, helped to arrange a $725,000 settlement of the matter. Representing the FHCMD was Attorney Saul Green from the law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, and the chief attorney representing the U.S. DOJ was Assistant U.S. Attorney, Judith Levy. |
| 8/13/05 | FHCMD Legal Services Coordinator since 1979, Michael Olshan and his wife, Faye, were married at a ceremony in Detroit's Belle Isle Park. The wedding service was performed by Hon. Victoria A. Roberts. |
| 8/6/07 | An FHCMD investigation led to the signing of a Federal Consent Order to settle an accessible housing lawsuit filed by the U.S. DOJ against the owners and developers of The Preserves in Sterling Heights. The FHCMD investigation revealed substantial violations of the accessibility provisions of the Fair Housing Act, prompting costly (estimated to be in excess of $1,000,000) re-trofitting of some already constructed units and the construction of additional units in compliance with the Fair Housing Act. |
| 4/24/08 | The FHCMD held its Inaugural Fair Housing Attorney Appreciation Reception to honor members of the Bar that have provided valuable services to the cause of fair housing. |
| 9/16/09 |
The FHCMD received the Kimberly M. Cahill Award from the State Bar of Michigan, in recognition of the Center's 30+ years of fair housing activity, including its work with hundreds of members of the State Bar. |