The City of Goleta is committed to Fair Housing. As part of the adoption of the City’s Housing Element, specifically Subpolicy HE 3.1 Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Opportunities, the City’s strategy goes beyond traditional anti-discrimination efforts and includes broader initiatives to expand opportunities for lower-income households, persons with special needs, and other protected classes. Targets of the strategy include:

• Increasing Affordable Housing Opportunities
• Reducing Homelessness
• Fair Housing Education and Training
• Providing Programs to Improve Access to Opportunity and Mobility
• Addressing Disparities in Access and Opportunity
• Infrastructure Improvements

The Federal Fair Housing Act (FFHA) prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender/sex, familial status, and disability. The FFHA covers most types of housing. Excluded from the FHAA are owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing units sold or rented without the use of a real estate agent or broker, housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members, and housing for older persons. HUD has the primary authority for enforcing the FHAA. HUD investigates the complaints it receives and determines if there is a “reasonable cause” to believe that discrimination occurred.

The State Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) is the primary state law prohibiting discrimination in all aspects of housing (rental, lease, etc.) because of a person’s disability. The State’s law exceeds the protections in the FHAA by including protected classes of marital status, sexual orientation, and source of income. The California Civil Rights Department evaluates and enforces complaints and investigates violations of certain civil rights law.

The primary local fair housing organization serving Goleta is the City of Santa Barbara’s Rental Housing Mediation Program (RHMP), which provides information on fair housing laws and tenant-landlord mediation services. The Neighborhood Services webpage on the City of Goleta website also provides information to residents regarding fair housing services and related complaint response procedures. The City also refers lower-income residents, particularly agricultural workers, to California Rural Legal Assistance.

Several websites are particularly helpful to assist anyone concerned about their rights:

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Federal: HUD - Office of Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity

State: California Civil Rights Department

Local: Rental Housing Mediation Program

To contact the Rental Housing Mediation Program call (805) 564-5420.

(Services provided to residents of City of Santa Barbara, City of Goleta, and City of Carpinteria).

The City of Goleta contracts with the Rental Housing Mediation Program to ensure that Goleta residents have access to support in any disputes between landlords and tenants.

For Legal Assistance – The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County provides a Fair Housing Site that includes dozens of legal resources and Fair Housing education and support.

For additional support and guidance, please contact Chuck Flacks, Neighborhood Services Department, 805-690-5125, cflacks@cityofgoleta.org