Meet Kimi

Situation: When Kimi Bivins inquired about renting an apartment at Twin Lake North, she told management that she had a daughter. They responded that normally Twin Lake did not rent to anyone with children, but that she should fill out an application, which was promptly accepted. (Management left blank the section listing the persons who would live in the unit.) When she went to renew her lease in 2006, Kimi informed management that her daughter was living with her. She was told not to mention her child on her new lease. Then in November of that year, she was told by management that she would be evicted for violating the no children policy and would have to pay $1,000 in “early termination” fees.

Action: The U.S. Fair Housing Act forbids providers of housing from discriminating against people because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status. The term “familial status” refers to people living with minor children. The major exemption to the rule is senior housing. And under the 1988 Fair Housing Act, only existing housing specifically for the elderly, new housing complexes built to be senior housing, or older housing which has been entirely emptied of tenants for rehabilitation and then re-opened may legally exclude families with children.

Result: With the help of Legal Aid, Kimi and others have filed a lawsuit against Lang-Nelson, the management company of Twin Lake North Apartments. The reason for the suit: discrimination against families with children.  Ultimately, there was a positive resolution for Kimi, her family, and the others involved in the lawsuit.