Description

In today's complex regulatory environment, apartment managers face unprecedented challenges in maintaining compliance with fair housing laws while operating efficient, profitable properties. The concept of disparate impact has emerged as one of the most significant and misunderstood aspects of fair housing compliance, creating potential legal vulnerabilities that can cost property management companies millions in settlements, legal fees, and regulatory penalties.

This comprehensive 60-minute webinar is specifically designed for multifamily professionals, who need to understand the intricate relationship between seemingly neutral policies and their potential discriminatory effects on protected classes.

The fair housing landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, with disparate impact theory taking center stage in enforcement actions by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), state agencies, and private litigation. Unlike intentional discrimination, disparate impact occurs when policies or practices that appear neutral on their face disproportionately affect members of protected classes, even without discriminatory intent.

Recent high-profile cases have demonstrated that property managers can face significant liability for policies they believed were legally compliant. From screening criteria and occupancy standards to pet policies and maintenance procedures, everyday operational decisions can inadvertently create disparate impact scenarios that expose properties to substantial legal and financial risk.

Given the current state of confusion regarding which “guidance” will and won’t be enforced, it’s more important than ever to understand the mechanics of disparate impact so you can make decisions about your compliance programs.

Areas Covered:-

• What is Disparate Impact
• Which protected categories are affected by Disparate Impact
• What is HUD’s Three Step Burden Shifting Process and how does it work?
• What is HUD’s Interactive Process and when does it need to be implemented.
• What is a “conditional offer to lease” and when must it be used?
• What are best practices regarding managing Criminal Background checks?

Learning Objectives:-

• Identify situations where discrimination due to disparate impact might occur.
• Minimize the possibility of doing or saying something that could be characterized as discrimination due to disparate impact by using policies, procedures, and training  to heighten awareness of potential problem areas.
• How to navigate  HUD’s Burden Shifting  Process
• How to effectively manage the Interactive Process.

Who Should Attend?

Community Manager/Director, Multi-site Manager (Area, Regional), Leasing Managers, Maintenance Managers/Supervisors, Training, Compliance and HR Professionals.