Bullying of vulnerable tenants in senior/handicapped housing, often by management agents, is an epidemic nationwide. It is past time for HUD to acknowledge this problem and take steps to address it.
Bringing More Attention to the Anti-Bullying Issue:
- Prepare and post Fact Sheet on "Preventing Harassment" and Right to Organize
- Advocate with HUD for mandatory fines for violations of Right to Organize
- Widespread filing of administrative complaints and reporting so that HUD has no choice but to pay attention
- Press campaign: Shelterforce article, letter writing, buttons, etc
- Organizer-led trainings on process and how to submit complaints
What We Want From HUD
- Acknowledge that bullying of tenants by management and/or other tenants is a widespread problem in senior/handicapped housing
- Get Report from Bob Iber at HUD on how many anti-bullying/harassment complaints have been filed at FHEO and Office of Housing (Notice 2016-5) and their disposition
- Offer LOFTE Webinars with Fair Housing Equal Opportunity branch, tenants and experts—include examples
- Issue guidance and/or notice to owner/managers and field offices about widespread bullying and appropriate ways to respond, including penalties
- Allow partial MOR to investigate bullying, upon request
- Sanction owners/managers who bully residents – consequences!
- Assist residents in filing FHEO complaints
Discuss Further
- Can HUD require a change in management as a remedy for management bullying, due to impact on social health & safety, stress?
- Can/should HUD require anti-bullying plans for senior/handicapped housing?
- We want to make sure that whatever actions taken aim to give more power to residents, not management.
- One concern with these plans is that management could be given more authority, and we don't want to give them any kind of leverage to power to wield over residents and threaten their tenancy.
HUD Harassment Rule from 2016 allows tenants to file complaints about bullying with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO). It also spells out how HUD will evaluate these complaints.
NAHT Comments on HUD Harassment Rule from 2016 are comments filed by Michael Kane on the proposed Rule, which lay out the case for federal action. Many of the LOFTE groups helped in drafting these comments.
Massachusetts Commission on Ways to Prevent Bullying in Senior Housing Report came out of the Massachusetts commission that met in 2017. This report helped in drafting the Massachusetts anti-bullying legislation linked below. The report includes a survey of tenants establishing the widespread nature of bullying. Nearly half the 637 respondents directly experienced bullying, more than half witnessed it and over 60% of management staff stated they had received a resident complaint.
Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Bill Leglisation was developed by the Massachusetts' Commission Working Group with input from many advocates, constituency representatives, agency and legislative representatives, over several months. This legislation would require property owners/managers to develop a building-specific Plan to prevent and remedy bullying; train residents and building staff; and address victims’ rights to seek relief and enforcement.
How to File A Complaint
Under the Fair Housing Act Public Housing Authority Executive Staff and Commissioners are responsible for protecting their tenants and voucher program participants from discriminatory harassment of any type. Here is the fact sheet about preventing and addressing harassment in housing.
If you feel you have faced discrimination you can file a complaint through HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO). There are options to file online, by phone or by mail.
If you want to file a complaint by phone or mail, you can find your regional FHEO office here.