Metropolitan St Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council

10/25/2023

"Bank regulators on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping new rule to combat lending discrimination, the culmination of a five-year effort to overhaul a landmark 1977 anti-redlining law.

The new rule — which would require banks to increase their lending to low- and moderate-income communities — marks the most significant revision to the Community Reinvestment Act’s rules in nearly three decades."

The new rule marks the most significant revision to the Community Reinvestment Act in nearly three decades.

10/23/2023

Take Action Now! Click http://bit.ly/stlgbi to learn about the documents needed to apply for the St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income program’s $500 payments for qualified city families from
St. Louis City and the St. Louis Treasurer.

Registration is open! Apply today: http://bit.ly/stlgbi

10/19/2023

"'I started to think about all of the different locations in St. Louis that are a part of the Negro Motorist Green Book,' said Wince.

They include the DeLuxe Restaurant, Alice Beauty Parlor, and the Pullman Club, all located in the 2300 Block near the new soccer stadium site.

'Having the Great Rivers Greenway on board to tell the history of these locations in St. Louis is a way not to forget the community of Mill Creek Valley. This ties into the work of the Noir Book Shop,' Wince said.

Simmons said, 'These places along the Greenway hold a story that shapes the past, present, and future of our region.'"

Noir Book Shop owner Ymani Wince, partnered with Great Rivers Greenway to share the history of the Negro Motorist Green-Book and its connection to local Black-owned businesses.

10/13/2023

"Upon saying “this has truly been a fulfilling journey,” Michael McMillan, Urban League president and CEO joined Simmons Bank executives, elected officials, and community members in grand opening ceremonies for a full-service branch in the Urban League headquarters at 1408 N. Kingshighway on Oct. 5, 2023.

The $2 million, 2,600 square-foot branch is located on the first floor of the building and offers a range of banking products and services, including a drive through banking lane and ATM with deposit capabilities.

In addition, the branch’s construction included sizeable minority business participation."

Upon saying “this has truly been a fulfilling journey,” Michael McMillan, Urban League president and CEO joined Simmons Bank executives, elected officials, and community members in grand opening ceremonies for

10/11/2023

Don't miss out on this totally free Zoom webinar series from our friends at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri! These lunch-and-learn sessions will be covering a lot of information about how the eviction process works in Missouri. EHOC will also be providing training during the November 15th session. We hope to see you there!

Are you dealing with eviction or tenant/landlord issues? Please join us for a FREE Wednesday Webinar Series, “All about Eviction,” from October 25th – November 15th. Presenters from Missouri Legal Aids and Metropolitan St Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council will address a variety of topics of interest related to tenancy and the eviction process. Time will be allotted for Q&A.

Registration is required for these Zoom sessions. To register, scan the QR code in the flyer below or click here: https://bit.ly/KnowYourEvictionRights

10/05/2023

"WOODS: All kinds of people might prefer not to have to live with strangers, whether it's women traveling alone or people of color concerned about discrimination. And Keith says he's also heard from a lot of his transgender clients and friends.

ROSE: They simply don't want to show up at a front door with a body that looks different than the name or gender on their IDs that they booked with and have to explain that to someone. And so having no one there when they arrive is definitely easier for them."

We love getting listener mail! Especially when it makes us think about a topic differently. Today on the show, we hear from listeners about host-free Airbnbs, a Danish solution to mortgage lock-in and a laughable policy for industrial policy. Have something to add to the conversation? Send us your l...

10/03/2023

"Motels4Now is a low-barrier shelter, meaning that residents do not have to demonstrate sobriety or medication compliance to be able to stay. The staff estimates that nearly all of the 115 residents are dealing with at least one severe mental illness, often including addiction. About 80 percent have lived on the streets for a year or more, and few are able to consistently keep any employment besides occasional one-off jobs. More than half of the current residents are on their second stay here, usually because they have been asked to leave during previous stays, usually after repeated unauthorized visitors or conflicts with other residents.

The challenges are on high-volume display, but McCarthy points out some less obvious signs of success. A group of older men sit and talk in chairs they have set up on the narrow sidewalk in front of their rooms. Among them is Lawrence, who lived outdoors for 18 years before being invited to move to Motels4Now. There was an adjustment period—Lawrence at first did not want to spend the night indoors, and then he struggled to break his habit of hoarding food for weeks on end. But now he is settling in, regularly getting medical care for the first time in four decades, and enjoying the security of a locked door to protect him at night. 'It is a myth that people prefer to be homeless if they have an alternative that allows them safety and respect,' McCarthy says."

Many guests at Motels4Now are on their second or third stays—but staff say that's doesn't equal failure, and the numbers bear them out.

09/28/2023

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Don't miss out on the latest in local and national fair housing news! From the Desk of the Assistant Executive Director As we transition from summer to fall, EHOC is looking forward to the work ahead

09/28/2023

"Nearly one-third (32%) of Black Americans who recently moved believe they were discriminated against based on their ethnicity or race during their home search, and an additional 22% believe they may have been discriminated against. The share is even higher for Hispanic Americans: 36% experienced discrimination, and an additional 22% believe they may have been discriminated against. "

One in five LGBTQ+ respondents felt they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.

09/25/2023

"In Havens Realty v. Coleman (1982), the Supreme Court considered a fairly ordinary case involving 'tester' plaintiffs. A civil rights organization sent two individuals, one Black and one white, to 'test' whether two apartment complexes would discriminate between these two individuals. Sure enough, the white tester was told that apartments were available for rent, while the Black tester was allegedly lied to and told that no units were available.

As a general rule, no one is allowed to file a federal lawsuit unless they have been injured in some way by the defendant they are suing — a requirement known as 'standing.' Havens Realty held that the Black tester had standing to sue the apartment complexes because she was allegedly treated differently than white testers, a classic case of racial discrimination."

A case about hotel websites could blow up much of US civil rights law.