Many Housing Cases Are Resolved Out of Court

Re “Mi Casa No Es Su Casa,” Nov. 21: The number of Department of Fair Employment and Housing cases cited represents only closed cases that were formally litigated in court. That figure failed to include the vast majority of cases resolved by the DFEH, including cases that remain open, which are not subject to public disclosure, or cases settled through conciliation. In fact, between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2001, 626 complaints alleging housing discrimination based on race and national origin were settled by the DFEH through conciliation.

These frequent out-of-court settlements of discrimination complaints allow landlords, property owners and tenants to reach resolution without expending additional time and resources on prolonged litigation. Only after conciliation attempts fail is a formal accusation, when merited, issued by the DFEH.

Dennis Hayashi

Director, Department of Fair

Employment and Housing

Sacramento