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Civil Rights Department reports housing enforcement action and 2023 pay‑data findings
Summary
Department staff reported a state‑court lawsuit over a landlord’s alleged refusal to accept a Section 8 voucher and summarized 2023 Pay Data Reporting findings showing concentrations of women and non‑binary workers among lower‑paid employees; the council asked clarifying questions about venue and data elements.
Adam Romero, Deputy Director of Executive Programs at the California Civil Rights Department, told the council the Department recently filed a state‑court lawsuit against an apartment complex for allegedly refusing to allow a long‑time tenant to use a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. Romero said the Department is the plaintiff in the case and is bringing the suit on behalf of a single renter.
Romero also said the department settled a complaint against a San Diego homeless shelter that had an alleged ban on emotional support animals; he emphasized that the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the council’s regulations can require reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, including emotional‑support animals in certain settings.
On employment, Romero highlighted that the Department released 2023 Pay Data Reporting Program results on International Equal Pay Day. Romero summarized several topline findings during his report, saying that 53% of people in the dataset who earned $32,239 or less per year were women; he also reported relatively small shares of Latinos and Native American workers in the highest‑paid categories and that more than 70% of non‑binary workers earned $32,239 or less.
Council members asked whether the housing lawsuit was in state or federal court (Romero confirmed state court) and whether the lawsuit involved multiple plaintiffs (Romero said the department is the plaintiff acting on behalf of a single renter). A council member asked whether the Pay Data program collects age data; Romero said age is not a collected element in the program.
Romero closed by encouraging stakeholders to review the Department’s dataset and to subscribe to the department newsletter for updates on investigations, settlements and training opportunities.
