[StBernard] St. Bernard fair housing coordinator begins work, as required under federal settlement

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard fair housing coordinator begins work, as required under federal
settlement
Print Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune By Benjamin
Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on August 07, 2013 at 4:08 PM

As required under the recent settlement in the running battle over
post-Hurricane Katrina rental housing in St. Bernard Parish, a fair housing
coordinator started work in the parish on Wednesday.

Pharissa Robinson, who formerly worked as a compliance consultant for the
Housing Authority of New Orleans and has a law degree from Loyola
University, will receive and process all housing discrimination complaints
against the parish government.

The U.S. Department of Justice and private plaintiffs in May agreed to a
civil settlement with St. Bernard government that cost the parish more than
$2.5 million. The Department of Justice accused the parish of violating the
Fair Housing Act by "engaging in a multi-year campaign to limit rental
housing opportunities for African-Americans in the parish."

As a part of that settlement agreement, the parish was required to establish
a new Office of Fair Housing and hire a fair housing coordinator.

In addition to handling housing discrimination complaints, Robinson will
coordinate fair housing training activities for elected officials and
employees, promote fair housing practices and help ensure the parish's
compliance with all applicable fair housing laws.

Robinson also will help publicize rental housing and affordable home
ownership opportunities in the parish. She will prepare two reports a year
on fair housing activities in the parish.

In the advertisement for the position, the parish government described it as
"an independent office" within the parish's Department of Housing and
Redevelopment office on Esteban Street in Arabi.

The advertisement for the position also stated that, "Pursuant to the United
States, the applicant shall not have been a St. Bernard Parish Government
employee, administrator, Planning Commission member, Council member or other
member of St. Bernard Parish Government, between November 2005 and May 10,
2013."

Robinson will be moving to St. Bernard within the next six months, as
required by the residency requirement for parish employees that parish
voters approved in December, Chief Administrative Officer Jerry Graves said.