Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California is based in Marin. Staff members include, from left, Maria Callahan, director of investigations; Irmina Benson, office administrator; Caroline Peattie, executive director; Julia Howard-Gibbon, supervising attorney; and Audrey Perrott, development director.
“Renting only to those who don’t have housing vouchers is no insurance against a bad experience.” In mid-November, FHANC went into mediation on a case of appraisal discrimination, with the outcome yet to be determined. “If there’s no settlement, the state will file a lawsuit against the appraiser and the lender,” says Howard- Gibbon. A matter of dignity She points out that the agency doesn’t usually follow up with past clients to see how they are getting along, but sometimes clients reach out again for help. “We are not social workers or case workers. We are an advocacy organization so our focus is narrower. But clients develop trust in us and sometimes we hear back from them.” It comes down to human dignity issues, she adds. “Getting through their cases can be very emotional for the clients. It’s powerful to listen to them tell their stories in the mediation process.” g
Read on Sonoma is off to its strongest start yet, with almost 4,000 students participating and 35,000 books read so far! 3rd through 6th grade students have also scored an average of nearly 90% or higher on their quizzes. Keep up the great work!
December 2024
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