Here are some of the things we're thinking about working on:
1. Private attorney general standing for fair housing organizations on the state and local level.
2. The elimination of the judicially-created barrier of "severe or pervasive," a barrier that unfairly shuts the courthouse door to victims of sexual racial, and other harassment.
3. Establish new federal funding for affordable housing in areas that traditionally have been exclusionary.
4. Legislate stronger affirmative furthering language into the FHA (and into the laws of congenial states and locailities).
5. Legislatively redefine the standard for the award of punitive damages standard in three respects: (i) modify requisite mental state to require only reckless disregard that conduct might cause injury (as opposed to reckless disregard of known risk of violating law); (ii) modify who has to have the mental state (i.e., establish vicarious liability in punitives for principal where employee or agent has acted with requisite mental state); and (iii) allow mitigation of punitives, but not the complete Kolstad safe harbor.
6. Develop and attempt to implement where feasible a model state/local fair housing law.
We need member feedback to help determine priorities.