The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) hosted a Savannah roundtable for community members and organizations as part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative.
“Sexual harassment or abuse by a landlord is never acceptable,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our office will continue to vigorously pursue justice and compensation for vulnerable tenants who endure such predatory behaviour.”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment without fear of being sexually harassed or assaulted by their landlord or anyone in a position of power over their housing,” said HUD Inspector General Oliver Davis. “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Steinberg for hosting this summit today. My office remains committed to working with her to hold accountable those who would prey on vulnerable tenants and housing applicants.”
Held at the Chatham County Library on Bull Street, the roundtable’s participants included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and HUD OIG, and representatives from fair housing organizations and related service providers.
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, colour, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability.
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act. Sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, and others with power over housing often affects the most vulnerable populations – single parents, individuals who have financial difficulties, and people who have suffered sexual violence in the past. These individuals often do not know where to turn for assistance.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing.
The Justice Department’s initiative seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of its enforcement efforts – both among survivors and those they may report to – and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
