[StBernard] Rental discrimination against retirees

[Westley Annis]

I am a 74 year old widow in St. Bernard who has had my house destroyed by
Hurricane Katrina.  I have a significant savings in my bank accounts from my
life savings and flood insurance proceeds. I have had excellent credit all
my life. I have been living with my sons and daughters since the storm, but
I need to find my own place to live. I finally found a  vacant apartment
that is part of a complex owned by Tonti Properties. I was told by the
apartment manager that an apartment would be vacant in a few weeks at their
Windsong Apartments, 1400 West Esplande Avenue, in Kenner, LA. I brought,as
they requested, a personal check for to pay for a credit check and for the
security deposit. The application asked about an employment record, and I
wrote that I was retired because I haven't worked in 20 years. I listed my
monthly income from social security plus my interest from savins. They took
the application and my checks. Today I was called and told that I needed to
have a monthly income of 3.5 times the monthly rent.  Although I explained
that I had ample funds to pay this rent from my savings, they said this was
their policy and they didn't rent to anyone without a job.  I feel that this
discriminates against the elderly and homemakers. Why does someone a job,
but no money in the bank, qualify for an apartment and I don't qualify with
my savings and with my excellent credit?  Doesn't this exclude most senior
citizens?
 
Can Tonti Properties legally make this requirement? They wouldn't even do
the credit check and just want me to pick up my checks. They didn't even ask
me to have someone co-sign with me, which I could easily have my son do for
me.  
 
Has anyone had an experience with this?  Your advice and assistance is
greatly appreciated. Congressman Melancon's office directed me to HUD and I
sent an email to make a complaint against Tonti Properties. HUD's N.O.
voicemail box is too full to take a message. 
 
I just don't understand what we retirees are to do. FEMA trailer parks
aren't being set up fast enough. Apartments of any kind are hard to come by
and now the apartment owners are setting up rules that exclude people who
can pay.  This also affects all those who have suddenly found themselves
unemployed, even if only temporarily. 

Ddk