Columbus housing authority faces allegations of language-based discrimination
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is investigating allegations that the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority engaged in discrimination by failing to meet the needs of non-native English speakers.
The housing authority administers several public housing projects and a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program in central Ohio. CMHA and other federally funded programs are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of race or national origin. They must take reasonable steps to ensure language access for people with limited English proficiency, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Legal Aid Society of Southeastern and Central Ohio complained to HUD earlier this month, alleging that CMHA is violating Title VI. Legal Aid claims that CMHA fails to provide clients with translations of vital documents and quality interpretation services. It also claims CMHA does not comply with its own “language access plan,” first drafted in 2009, and that compliance has worsened since CMHA hired CGI Federal Inc. to administer its voucher program, starting in 2022.
CMHA has denied the allegations.
“We believe that the work we do is very important, regardless of the language someone speaks. When there are concerns, we take them seriously. That is why, in situations where participants have experienced hardship as a result of their limited English proficiency, CMHA has a policy to work with all such participants to overcome any adversity that they have experienced as a direct result of their limited English proficiency,” a spokesperson said in a prepared statement.
Spokespeople for HUD and CGI both declined to answer emailed questions from The Dispatch.
"We do not comment on ongoing investigations," the HUD spokesperson said.
Legal Aid Society alleges Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority does not meet translation needs
Legal Aid argues that CMHA is failing to meet the needs of Columbus’ growing immigrant communities — such as Somalis, Nepali speakers and people from Latin America — whose members are not always fluent in English.
The complaint mentions one Legal Aid client, a Somali immigrant, whom a housing code inspector told he needed to buy a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector for his apartment. However, the inspector spoke in English, relying on the client’s daughter and friend to translate. After the Somali man bought the wrong type of detector, he failed the re-inspection, and CMHA terminated his rental assistance, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that even when interpretation is provided using a phone-based translation service, interpreters sometimes struggle to translate complex legal terms and other vocabulary.
“Between September 2022 and today, (Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio) has assisted over two dozen clients who are ‘limited English proficiency.’ All have struggled to access CMHA services. None have received translated documents. Very few access language interpretation without LASCO’s help,” the complaint states.
CMHA’s existing language access plan states the housing authority will “translate all vital documents into Spanish, Somali” and other languages.
The CMHA spokesperson said that all clients are notified of translation services “on all correspondence from CMHA," on placards and signs in CMHA offices and on the housing authority’s website.
The website’s front page does direct visitors seeking “translation help” to call an 800 number. When The Dispatch called that number, it led to an automated message — which was only in English.
The website also offers an automatic Google Translate button for various languages and provides some translated documents in Somali and Spanish.
But Legal Aid alleges that other vital documents are missing, and it claims CMHA has “no system for providing documents in the correct languages to the correct clients.”
CMHA, CGI Federal Inc. have faced complaints before
In 2014, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus filed a similar complaint with HUD, claiming CMHA was failing to meet translation needs. That complaint led to a voluntary compliance agreement between HUD and CMHA, as well as an updated language access plan.
"It's something that we had to address 10 years ago, and it's disappointing that we're almost back to the same space 10 years later," said Ben Horne, Legal Aid Society of Columbus' advocacy director.
The new complaint says that language accessibility improved after the earlier agreement, but claims compliance deteriorated after CMHA hired CGI Federal Inc. in 2022 to administer Section 8 vouchers.
A year ago, The Dispatch published an investigation about complaints against CGI’s handling of the program — including erroneous terminations, delays, poor customer service and misplaced paperwork.
Jesse Vogel, a housing fellow who authored the complaint, said he hopes it will result in solutions that improve accessibility for clients.
"We're hopeful that we can get some change and are ready to continue conversations with CMHA, if they want to sit down and talk about how to how to fix these things," he said.
More: In Columbus, thousands in need of Section 8 housing could wait years. What's going on?
More: Rising terminations, flawed execution: Dispatch investigation finds Section 8 failings
Peter Gill covers immigration, New American communities and religion for the Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at:bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.
pgill@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus housing authority faces discrimination allegations
