Human Department Of Urban Development (HUD)

The Department of Human Department of Urban Development is a critical agency that greatly impacts this policy. According to Massey (2015), the secretary of Housing and Development (HUD) is in charge of investigating complaints against those suspected of discrimination, hold hearings to assess the severity of discrimination, and publish cease and desist orders in cases where discrimination was confirmed. HUD is also responsible for reporting housing discrimination, coordinating the anti-discrimination activities of other federal agencies, and providing assistance to other public and private agencies that are combatting discriminatory housing practices (Henderson, & Singer, 1985).
When the policy was established there were several limitations.

This policy was enacted during the civil rights era. During this era, Americans were fighting to end legalized segregation in many different institutions. The activists involved in the civil rights movement advocated and promoted changes in laws and practices to ensure that public spaces, institutions, and social arenas were integrated (Kelly, 2013). As a result of this movement, voting rights, racial integration in education, access to employment for all Americans was promoted at a federal level. As a result of the heavy promotion from the civil rights movement of integration in different institutions on a national scale, housing became a focus in the civil rights era. Thus, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, referred to as the Fair Housing Act was created to end segregation and discrimination in

According to the National Commission of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, after the Fair Housing Act many organizations have been established that are working toward building alliances with housing industry groups and local governments to produce training and to build public support for fair housing. At the state level, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) is responsible for the investigating and tracking civil-rights related concerns such as housing discrimination.
In addition, this department provides outreach and education programs, community relations, and contract compliance (MDCR, 2015). The department ensures the prevention of discrimination and promotes voluntary compliance with Civil Rights laws for those in the state of Michigan. In Grand Rapids, the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan is non-profit organizations that advocates, and works to prevent housing discrimination. The organization works with tenants, lending institutions, realtor’s homeowners, insurance agents, social service agencies, and home seekers to provide equal access to families, and individuals. This organization serves 12 counties in western Michigan: Allegan, Grand Traverse, Ionia, Isabella, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa (Fair Housing Center of West Michigan,