Newsletter - Quarterly Edition - November 2015

SOUTH CAROLINA FAIR HOUSING CENTER Issue 1 

Newsletter 

Quarterly Edition 

"I just thought you would like 

to know that your agency 

simply being in our community 

seems to be enough sometimes 

to increase awareness of Fair 

Housing and encourage people 

to do the right thing." 

Community Member 

November 6, 2015 

WE PROMOTE FAIR HOUSING LAWS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AWARENESS 

Civil Rights Help to Uphold Our 

Humanity 

Lessons Taught by the Tragedy at Emanuel 

IN THIS ISSUE 

By Tina L. Brown, Esquire, Executive Director 

tbrown@ncrc.org – (803) 403-8447, ext. 104 

There has been much transition in 

South Carolina in the last few 

months. Following the tragic 

killing of nine innocent individuals 

during biblical worship at the 

historical Emanuel African 

Methodist Episcopal Church in 

Charleston, South Carolina, we 

banded together in solidarity 

across the state. Such was 

extremely encouraging in the 

face of extreme tragedy. 

The word “humanity” is used as 

defined in the Merriam Webster 

Dictionary: 

- the quality or state of 

being humane; 


being human; 


being kind to other people 

or to animals; 

- all people 

Civil Rights Uphold Our Humanity 

Page 1 

As with many tragedies, it is 

during these times that we 

recognize that our commonalities 

far outweigh any of our perceived 

differences. It restores the sense 

of humanity which binds us all. 

Humanity defines us as people. It 

encompasses all that makes us 

human; birthed to a mother and 

father, connected to siblings, 

cousins, relatives and friends, 

working as a part of a larger 

society as teachers, bankers, 

Flood Relief & Recovery 

Resources 

Page 4

NEWSLETTER QUARTERLY EDITION | Issue 1 2 

assembly line technicians, 

reaching out to others in love, 

decency, or compassion, and so 

much more. 

Humanity defines us as people. It 

encompasses all that makes us 

human; birthed to a mother and 

father, connected to siblings, 

cousins, relatives and friends, 

working as a part of a larger 

society as teachers, bankers, 

assembly line technicians, 

reaching out to others in love, 

decency, or compassion. 

A civil right is “an enforceable 

right or privilege, which if 

interfered with by another gives 

rise to an action for injury.” 

Cornell University Law School, 

Legal Information Institute, 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/ 

civil_rights. When civil rights are 

denied, a person’s humanity is 

denied. The multi-faceted 

individual is reduced to a mere 

slur, stereotype. The individual is 

reduced to something less than 

human and reveals something 

less than humane of us, as a 

society. 

I experienced this personally not 

too long ago while casually 

walking downtown one 

afternoon, out for lunch. I passed 

a man on the street. Making eye 

contact, I casually nodded a 

greeting, a recognition that we 

had seen one another, as most of 

us often do in passing. Instead of 

responding similarly, he blurted 

out “F*** you n*****!” 

In that moment, innumerable 

thoughts travel through your 

mind, but all are, to a large 

degree, frozen within a shell of 

shock, particularly as a first time, 

or, I’m sure, even as a one 

hundredth time, occurrence. I’m 

sure it is not something to which 

one could ever become 

accustomed or completely numb. 

In that moment, you are reduced 

to not someone’s daughter, not 

the co-editor of your high school 

newspaper, not an aunt, a friend, 

a sister, not someone who loves 

‘Golden Girls’ reruns, or even 

someone who is extremely 

terrified of heights, but who once 

went up 325 feet on an 

amusement park’s highest ride to 

help her niece celebrate her 

birthday. In that moment, there 

is an attempt to reduce you to 

just a “n*****.” It is an attempt 

to reduce you to just a slur, to 

someone less than the one 

making the slur, to something 

less than human, to something 

just plain less than. 

Civil rights work is to ensure that 

no one should ever have to feel 

“less than” because of their 

innate characteristics. They work 

to ensure that no one should be 

deemed “less than” and barred 

from the voting booth. They 

work to ensure that no one 

should have to be made “less 

than” in their quest for gainful 

employment. They work to 

ensure that no should be denied 

or relegated to “less than” good 

enough to reside in a certain 

neighborhood, complex, or to 

qualify for a mortgage loan. 

This experience ever so vividly 

and cruelly reminded me that 

what we do here at the South 

Carolina Fair Housing Center 

helps to ensure that South 

Carolinians are not made to feel 

“less than” in their quest for one 

of the most basic and 

foundational necessities of life, 

which is housing. If I was not 

convinced before, and I was 

already pretty convinced, I am 

undeniably aware that, yes, civil 

rights hold a front and center 

position in today’s legal 

landscape, in today’s society. 

It is the tie that binds us all to 

preserve that which is both 

human and humane.


Enforcement & 

Advocacy 

Spotlight 

Complainant Jane Doe completed an 

intake regarding neighbor 

harassment related to her disability 

and her housing provider’s failure to 

properly intervene to stop the 

harassment nor provide her with a 

reasonable accommodation to 

relocate to another unit. Ultimately, 

complainant sought to leave the 

property altogether to cease the 

harassment based on her disability. 

To do so, she would need a 

reasonable accommodation of an 

early lease termination. 

The center intervened on her behalf 

submitting a reasonable 

accommodation request for early 

lease termination based on the 

discrimination complainant was 

experiencing due to her disability. 

Given the urgency of the matter, 

with regard to complainant’s health, 

the center also proceeded to file an 

administrative complaint with the 

U.S. Department of Housing and 

Urban Development as the housing 

provider was not timely responsive. 

“I am writing to say thank you and your association for great 

service in aiding me for justice in getting out of a abusive and 

harassing situation at my residence; where I had complied to 

the apartment’s regulations guidelines for tenant and landlord 

handbook. Then proceeded to go to the property manager 

about it. I got no response for months, it was making me sick 

healthwise and mentally as my medical condiction was being 

compromised. 

I called Ms. Tina Brown and boy she came to the rescue, she 

immediately scheduled an appointment, told me what to bring. 

She talked with me, listening with great patience and 

professionalism, typed up papers, mailed them to my apt. 

complex and took immediate action with them on my behalf. 

She made good of time and was prompt and true to her word. 

I was relieved and forgiven for remainder of my lease the last 3 

months which abled me to be able to pay my storage, free up 

my monies to find another place of residence, without any 

further adieu! Thanks to the Fair Housing S.C. and a great 

lady who cared and helped me get my footage. I am healing 

well and reasting and can breath again. Medical conditions 

improving also.” 

Ultimately, through the center’s 

negotiations, the complainant was 

able to terminate her lease early, 

while paying no early termination 

fees. In the resolution of her fair 

housing complaint, the complainant 

submitted the following comments 

that she wishes to share: 

We want to know about 

and potentially assist you 

with your fair housing 

issue too! Please contact 

us to submit an intake if 

you feel that you have 

been the victim of housing 

discrimination. 

COMPLAINT INTAKE LINE 

Toll Free: 1 (855) 665-8549 

Statewide 

Monday – Friday 

9:30 am – 4:30 pm 

Walk-ins are welcome


Flood Relief & 

Recovery 

Resources 

Recently, numerous parts of South 

Carolina experienced unprecedented 

flooding. For many, the aftermath 

has been tragic and heartbreaking. 

Recovery will be long and involve 

many layers. Here are some of the 

varied resources available: 

LEGAL ASSISTANCE: 

The SC Bar Association, its Young 

Lawyers Division, South Carolina 

Legal Services and the American Bar 

Association Young Lawyers Division 

have partnered together to provide a 

FREE disaster relief legal aid hotline. 

This hotline is available for victims in 

the counties designated as flood 

disaster areas. 

Per the SC Bar: “Flood victims facing 

legal issues who are unable to afford 

a lawyer may call 1-877-797-2227 ext. 

120 (toll-free) or (803) 576-3815 

(local) between 9:00 AM and 5:00 

PM, Monday through Friday, to 

hotline, callers should identify that 

they are seeking disaster-related 

legal assistance, brief details of the 

assistance needed and in which 

county they are located. Individuals 

who qualify for assistance will be 

matched with South Carolina 

lawyers who have volunteered to 

provide free legal assistance. Flood 

victims may also request assistance 

online by e-mailing 

DisasterInfo@SCBar.org.” 

FEMA TIPS: 

When applying, FEMA advises to 

have the following information 

ready: 

- Social Security Number 

- Photo ID 

- Address of the damaged property 

- Proof of ownership (mortgage, 

deed, etc. . .) 

- Proof of occupancy (lease or utility 

bill) 

- Description of your damage 

- Your insurance coverage 

- Telephone number 

- Mailing address 

- Bank account and routing numbers 

FEMA CONTACT: 

www.disasterassistance.gov 

PHONE: 1 (800) 621-3362 

TTY: 1 (800) 462-7585 

TIPS TO AVOID FRAUD: 

- FEMA inspectors will have official 

badges 

- FEMA inspectors will confirm your 

disaster registration number 

- Numerous tips from the SC 

Department of Consumer Affairs 

may also be found here: 

http://www.consumer.sc.gov/consu 

mer/PressRelease/Documents/2015/ 

BewareofDisasterScams.pdf 

- The South Carolina Fair Housing 

Center may be utilized as a resource 

if individuals have complaints 

involving distribution of resources by 

calling: 1 (855) 665-8549 or by 

completing an online form, found 

here: 

http://scfhc.formmule.com/forms/su 

bmit-fair-housing-issue- 

DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS: 

Richland Main Library: 

1431 Assembly Street 

Columbia, SC 29201 

Lexington County Library 

1500 Augusta Road 

West Columbia, SC 29169 

Blaney Fire Dept. 

2344 Hwy 1 South 

Eligin, SC 29045 

request assistance. 

When connected to the 

John Ford Community Center 

304 Agnes Street 

Saint Matthews, SC 29135 

Sheriff Office 

540 Wilson Rd. 

Newberry, SC 29108 

Sumer County Civic Center 

700 W. Liberty Street 

Sumter, SC 29150 

Park and Recreation 

4 Cedar Lane 

Bishopville, SC 29010 

Clarendon County 

7 Maple Street 

Manning, SC 29102 

Lake City Pentecostal Holiness Church 

620 S. Ron McNair Blvd. 

Lake City, SC 29560 

For a full listing of ALL Disaster Recovery Centers across South Carolina, please 

visit: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm or call 1 (800) 621-3362


The Importance of 

Fair Housing Testing 

We continue to seek qualified 

individuals to become fair housing 

testers, STATEWIDE. For applicants 

outside of the Midlands, trainings can 

be provided in your county. 

Courts have determined that testing 

is the best, and often only, form of 

assessing whether fair housing 

discrimination has occurred. So, 

testers fully engaged in the process 

are critical and key to fair housing 

enforcement and elimination of 

discriminatory behavior. 

“It is the rare case today where the defendant either admits 

his illegal conduct or where he sufficiently publicizes it so as to 

make testers unnecessary. For this reason, evidence gathered 

by testers may be the only competent evidence available to 

prove that the defendant has engaged in unlawful conduct.” 

Zuch v. Hussey, 394 F. Supp. 1028 (E.D. MI 1975) 

National Fair Housing Month 

Before we know it, April will be here, which is also 

National Fair Housing Month. Each year, we host 

several Fair Housing Month events. Through 

these events, we want to reach a diverse 

population of our communities. So, we value your 

input. Email: tbrown@ncrc.org to let us know 

what you would like to see during Fair Housing 

Month. 

Join our Email List! 

Send an email to tbrown@ncrc.org, subject line: 

“Email List” for updates, events, news, & more! 

FAST FACTS 

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld 

the legal theory of disparate impact 

under the federal Fair Housing Act. 

Click here for the center’s release on 

this decision: 

https://www.yumpu.com/s/Ksj3 

fjyqv64tZLTF 

RECENT CASE ILLUSTRATION 

In New Orleans case, an African 

American couple went to apply for an 

apartment but were told that it was no 

longer available. The couple requested 

an application just in case something 

opened up, but they were denied. 

Feeling suspicious, the couple asked a 

Caucasian friend to apply. She was 

immediately told by the housing 

provider to come view the apartment. 

As a result, the couple filed a complaint 

with their local fair housing center. The 

fair housing center sent out testers 

over a series of time. Minority testers 

were treated differently and denied 

access to the units in stark contrast to 

the non-minority testers. Based largely 

on this fair housing testing, in addition 

to other forms of evidence, the fair 

housing center brought suit in federal 

court. This suit has resulted in a 

$172,000 settlement and agreement 

preventing one of the housing 

providers from working in the real 

estate industry in the future. For full 

details, please click here: 

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2 

015/11/metairie_landlords_ordered_to. 

html. 

TESTING BENEFITS 

- $25 upon successful completion of 

training seminar 

- $35, $50, or $80 per satisfactory 

completion of each assignment, 

stipend amount dependent upon 

type of assignment 

- Fighting for equal housing choice 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

- Attend and complete a training 

seminar 

- Good writing and verbal skills 

- Criminal background check 

- Have a working, or able to get a 

working, email address 

- Ability to travel locally 

HOW TO APPLY: 

scfairhousingcenter@gmail.com 

Online: 

http://scfhc.formmule.com/forms/84 

LLphVvetsqU1zW


CENTER NEWS 

GRANT AWARD 

The SC Fair Housing Center 

(SCFHC) has been named one of 

the Dept. of Housing and Urban 

Development’s grant recipients 

under the Fair Housing Initatives 

Program (FHIP). The FHIP was 

created under the federal Fair 

Housing Act. It allows private 

entities to assist HUD in the 

enforcement of the federal Fair 

Housing Act throughout the 

country. The full press release by 

HUD may be found here: 

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/H 

UD?src=/press/press_releases_m 

edia_advisories/2015/HUDNo_15- 

121 

UPCOMING EVENTS/DATES 

November 10, 2015: 

Fair Housing Presentation at the 

Lowcountry Affordable Housing 

Coalition, Beaufort County 

November 18, 2015: 

Presentation in partnership with 

ABLE South Carolina regarding 

reasonable accommodations and 

matters of housing accessibility 

affecting persons with disabilities 

November 26-27, 2015: 

Closed for Thanksgiving 

December 4, 2015: 

Continuing Legal Education Event 

presenter at training provided by 

SC Appleseed Legal Justice 

Center on the subject of Fair 

Housing and Criminal Convictions 

FAIR HOUSING TESTER 

TRAININGS 

TBA: trainings will be scheduled 

as applications are received 

throughout the state, so if 

interested please apply as found 

on page 5 

SCFHC BOARD 

We are looking to add new board 

members with diverse 

experiences, to include 

fundraising, financial 

management, and grant writing 

to join the SCFHC Board of 

Directors. If you are interested 

please apply here: 

http://scfhc.formmule.com/forms 

/EtgJMTkIP1ZtxNIu 

FAIR HOUSING TRAINING 

The South Carolina Fair Housing 

Center is pleased to provide fair 

housing training to housing 

providers, groups, realtors, 

housing authorities, non-profit 

organizations and more. The 

course provides in-depth training 

on the federal Fair Housing Act, 

to include such topics as 

reasonable accommodations and 

modifications, direct threat 

issues, accessibility, intersection 

of domestic violence related 

evictions, and more. 

Some past training participants 

have expressed the following: 

“Easy to follow.” 

“I liked the fact that they 

included real case studies which 

were similar to what we face on 

a daily basis.” 

“Can apply to job duties.” 

“I liked the examples given, it 

made the information more 

relatable.” 

“The presenter was 

knowledgeable and provided 

examples to help the 

participants better understand 

the applied principles and laws.” 

If you are interested in receiving 

training, please contact Executive 

Director Tina L. Brown, Esquire, 

at (803) 403-8447, ext. 104 or 

tbrown@ncrc.org. Certificates of 

completion will be provided 

following the conclusion of the 

training. 

COMMUNITY EDUCATION & 

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIPS 

Interested in partnering with us to 

reach South Carolina residents 

through community education 

and outreach regarding all forms 

of housing matters? Give us a call 

at the contact information below 

or send an email. We would love 

to work with you!


Newsletter 

Quarterly Edition 

1925 Bull Street 

Columbia, SC 29201 

FIND US ON: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scfairhousingcenter 

Twitter: @SCFairHousing. 

Also see our website, www.scfairhousingcenter.org, which will be 

undergoing construction soon! 

To be added to our email list for fair housing news, updates, events, and 

more, send your email address to tbrown@ncrc.org, subject line “Email 

List” 

General Phone: (803) 403-8447 

Complaint/Intake Line: (855) 665-8549 

$25.00 donation = training one fair housing tester 

$80.00 donation = completion of one test to ensure that prohibited 

characteristics are not used to deny a mortgage loan 

For example, female headed households with children have increased 

by 11.8% in South Carolina, yet receive mortgage loans at less than ½ 

the rate of male headed households. Testing determines why this gap 

persists 

$100.00 donation = conducting one education and outreach session 

with a local community organization, non-profit group, business, etc. . 

. . 

Such sessions include the presentation of information regarding what 

the Fair Housing Act means and how to enforce one’s rights. 

Presentations have been held in Florence, Charleston, Columbia, 

Marion, Rock Hill, Estill, Allendale, Lake City, and more. One attendee 

noted: “This will help me when I deal with tenant/landlord issues. I will 

definitely use this knowledge in my everyday routine.” 

The Center is a 501(c)(3) in good standing which appreciates receipt 

of donations year round to continue the fight for equal access to 

housing. Thank you for reading!

Newsletter - Quarterly Edition - November 2015

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