Fewer resources available in fair housing cases
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North Dakotans facing housing discrimination issues could be met with even fewer resources because of a lag in federal funding.
The High Plains Fair Housing Center is the sole organization in North Dakota helping marginalized clients who claim unfair treatment by a housing provider.
Michelle Rydz, executive director of the center, said about 75% of their operations are supported by federal grant funding. Rydz said the organization has been waiting on the last installment of nearly $500,000 from a three-year Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. The last communication the center received from HUD was in May.
“For the last two months we’ve been in this gap and as a small organization, we can just no longer continue without that third year,” Rydz said. “We have to lay off staff at the end of the month.”
Rydz estimated the layoffs would affect 50% of her employees. Because of the way the grant schedule was restructured, Rydz added it could take until September 2027 for the remaining funds to be released. HUD's office did not respond to a request for comment.
The High Plains Fair Housing Center receives about 1,000 inquiries each year. Rydz noted 65% of the center's clients are people with disabilities and the staff reduction would significantly diminish the center's capacity to serve them, while placing added pressure on other organizations.
“Somebody with a disability may find that the door is too heavy for them to get into their apartment and they just keep asking and they’re not getting any response from their landlord, and so what High Plains will do is mediate,” Rydz said. “It’s really kind of simple things but things that really make an impact on people’s lives.”
Rydz added the center works with landlords to get accommodations made so housing is more accessible for tenants with disabilities. Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords cannot discriminate against people based on protected characteristics like race, color, sex or disability.
“It’s disheartening to think that might be impacted because we can no longer provide services,” Rydz said. “Our expertise and our capacity was built through HUD funds and so we’re just losing a lot of investment that HUD has already made.”
Rydz underscored supplemental state funding will allow the center to maintain a skeleton crew but should it take a full year for the federal funds to flow again, the center might have to let even more people go.
HUD currently faces legal action over changes made to a key grant program fair housing groups argued would slash funding for nonprofits and weaken enforcement of housing discrimination laws.