Ms. Marlene Garza

Marlene Garza, chief executive officer at the Housing Rights Center, blamed strong tenant networking for the number of Asian residents.

"Tenants hear about openings and tell their friends and by the time everyone else knows, the waiting list has been filled," Garza said.

A senior housing development in West Hollywood, for example, has the same problem but with Russian residents, she added.

Marlene Garza, J.D.Chief Executive Officer Ms. Garza has worked in fair housing since 1996.Ms. Garza became the Executive Director of Westside Fair Housing Council ("WFHC") in December 1998 and previously worked at FHCSGV, the Office of the Civil Rights Monitor (OCRM), the Fair Housing Institute, the Offices of L.A. City Councilmember Jackie Goldberg, and as a bilingual math and science teacher for the L.A. Unified School District.Ms. Garza has a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, a B.A. in philosophy from U.C. Berkeley, and is fluent in Spanish.

Marlene Garza, CEO of the Housing Rights Center, stated, “Many housing providers try to keep families with children away by falsely claiming they are seniors-only buildings.

Marlene Garza, CEO of the Housing Rights Center, stated, "Many housing providers try to keep families with children away by falsely claiming they are seniors-only buildings.

"The study certainly shows the need for fair housing education," says Marlene Garza, HRC's Chief Executive Officer.

Marlene Garza, chief executive of the Housing Rights Center, which handles litigation complaints for the city and county of Los Angeles and 28 other cities, said testers continue to see stark disparities in the treatment accorded whites and racial minorities.In a recent test, the group found that a person of color was handed brochures and showed a Web site by brokers at a Pasadena agency, while a white person of similar income and housing needs got a personal tour of neighborhoods.

But lawsuits are relatively rare.

...
The outcome in the Supreme Court case could make it harder to combat persistent bias in the sale and rental markets, Garza said. If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.Click here for article licensing and reprint options

Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times

Marlene GarzaHousing Rights Center - Los Angeles, CA