Events & Training

Criminal Records & Fair Housing - Is a Prior Conviction an Automatic Disqualifier?

Webinar - January 20, 2026 (Tuesday) 10 am

HUD withdrew all of its guidance on the use of criminal records in housing, including HUD's Office of General Counsel's Guidance, entitled Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to Use of Criminal Records (Apr. 4, 2016)). On the other hand, the State of Michigan’s most recent Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (2016) states that “Individuals exiting prison are often discriminated against through strict rental policies that prohibit renters with criminal records. Often this results in a disparate impact based on race and national origin as there are higher rates of incarceration among minority populations.” Goal 1.4 & Strategy 1.4.C of Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan (2022) lists a strategy the need to promote compliance by housing providers with “HUD’s guidance on use of criminal records by housing providers and real estate transactions.”

This webinar addresses this conflicting federal and state landscape, providing clear training and answers--for tenants and home owners and for housing professionals--as to current standards governing criminal record policies and residential housing. 

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Source of Income (SOI) Protections - Critical "Must Know" Information and Direct Answers to the Key Technical Compliance Questions

Webinar - March 4, 2026 (Wednesday) 10 am

This webinar will address the commonly raised questions concerning source of income (SOI) requirements, as well as technical questions that have arisen under Michigan's new SOI legislation. Q&As include how should qualifying ratios be computed? Are there limits on credit score, down payment amounts, and other qualifying requirements? May housing provider refuse to enter into HAP contracts due to Fourth Amendment arguments? How much time must a landlord wait for approval of a voucher applicant? Can a housing provider prefer voucher holders? These and other questions will be answered.   

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Tester Training

March 20, 2026 (Friday) 10 am - Noon

One important way in which you may help make fair housing a reality in the Metropolitan Detroit area is by becoming a tester.

What is Testing?

Testing is a term that refers to a process of checking the housing market to determine the treatment accorded to different homeseekers. Two individuals, alike in every respect except the variable being tested, are sent to the same rental, sales, or mortgage lending office. Testers take careful notes of what transpires. Differences in treatment often form the basis for the successful resolution of a fair housing complaint.

What is a Tester?

As a tester, you play the role of a home seeker–-a person who is looking for a home in which to live. Testers must be objective, careful observers and reporters of what transpires as they seek housing.

Why Testing?

The testing process has been consistently supported by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts as a legitimate, necessary, and often, the only method available to identify practices of unlawful housing discrimination. The reports and testimony by testers are accepted by courts as evidence of discriminatory conduct.

Where do I find out more?

All testers are required to complete a two-hour training course. The training takes place usually on a Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and are provided free of charge.

For more information about becoming a tester, please register for the tester training course. If you have additional questions or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Engela Bertolini or Takiyah Marquez or call the Fair Housing Center at 313-579-FAIR (3247).

Disparate Impact Theory of Liability in Housing Cases - Must Know & Need to Know in 2026

Webinar - April 7, 2026 (Tuesday) 10 am

Without question, the most significant fair housing claims have been brought under the disparate impact (DI) theory of liability. These claims were based on the Supreme Court's decision in Texas Dep’t of Housing & Comm. Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., 576 U.S. 519 (2015) and HUD’s 2013 DI Rule. Recently, a Presidential Executive Order, entitled "Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy" (Apr. 23, 2025), and HUD Memorandum, Fair Housing Act Enforcement and Prioritization of Resources (Sept. 16, 2025), have stopped enforcement of DI claims by HUD at the federal administrative level. This webinar will address these changes in federal administrative enforcement of DI claims and provide guidance as to how to navigate this conflicting federal and state landscape.

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Tenants' Rights & Responsibilities

In Person - May 19, 2026 (Tuesday) 1 pm

The training will address the following topics: How to avoid fraud to confirm that you are entering into a lease agreement with a legitimate landlord/owner who has obtained a rental certificate; importance of a written lease and what to look for; how to address matters of habitability and repair and navigate the “deduct & repair” process; security deposit limits and how to compute them; importance of inventory checklists at the beginning and ending of the rental period; how to assert claims for recovery of a security and the right to “double damages”; determining the limit for rent increases and late fees; kinds of notices required for a lawful eviction; tenant organizations and retaliatory evictions; and challenging an unlawful changing of the locks, termination of utility services, and other constructive eviction under Michigan’s Anti-Lockout Statute. The training will also include a great deal of time to answer questions. 

This in person training will take place at the Southfield Parks & Recreation Center Building, 26000 Evergreen Road, Suite 112, Southfield, MI 48076.

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Tester Training

June 12, 2026 (Friday) 10 am - Noon

One important way in which you may help make fair housing a reality in the Metropolitan Detroit area is by becoming a tester.

What is Testing?

Testing is a term that refers to a process of checking the housing market to determine the treatment accorded to different homeseekers. Two individuals, alike in every respect except the variable being tested, are sent to the same rental, sales, or mortgage lending office. Testers take careful notes of what transpires. Differences in treatment often form the basis for the successful resolution of a fair housing complaint.

What is a Tester?

As a tester, you play the role of a home seeker–-a person who is looking for a home in which to live. Testers must be objective, careful observers and reporters of what transpires as they seek housing.

Why Testing?

The testing process has been consistently supported by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts as a legitimate, necessary, and often, the only method available to identify practices of unlawful housing discrimination. The reports and testimony by testers are accepted by courts as evidence of discriminatory conduct.

Where do I find out more?

All testers are required to complete a two-hour training course. The training takes place usually on a Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and are provided free of charge.

For more information about becoming a tester, please register for the tester training course. If you have additional questions or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Engela Bertolini or Takiyah Marquez or call the Fair Housing Center at 313-579-FAIR (3247).

Reasonable Accommodations & Modifications - Must Know & Need to Know in 2026

Webinar - June 23, 2026 (Tuesday) 10 am

HUD has promulgated regulations and issued policy guidance concerning the requirements to permit reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications for persons with disabilities (24 C.F.R. § §100.203 & 100.204 and Joint Statements of HUD/DOJ, entitled "Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act" (May 17, 2004) & "Reasonable Modifications Under the Fair Housing Act" (Mar. 5, 2008)). What is the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enters. v. Raimondo, 144 S. Ct. 2244 (2024), on HUD's regulations and the HUD/DOJ guidance? What is the statue of reasonable accommodation and reasonable modification claims at the state and local level? This webinar will assess these developments and provide a concise analysis of the status of reasonable accommodation and reasonable modification claims in 2026. 

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Fair Housing for Landlords - Compliance Check with Q&As

In Person - July 14, 2026 (Tuesday) 1 pm

This in person training is for housing providers (owners, management companies, and others involved in the ownership and operation of housing). What are the key fair housing requirements and best practices? What are the important requirements under landlord-tenant law? Bring your lease agreement and questions.

This in person training will take place at the Southfield Parks & Recreation Center Building, 26000 Evergreen Road, Suite 112, Southfield, MI 48076.

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Attorney Fees in Fair Housing Cases - A Necessary and Critical Factor in Ensuring that Victims Receive Effective Service by Qualified and Fully Compensated Legal Counsel

Webinar - September 15, 2026 (Tuesday) 1 pm

Congressional policy favors private enforcement of civil rights acts and mandates a liberal construction of attorney's fee statutes. Texas State Teachers Association v. Garland Independent School Dist., 489 U.S. 782 (1989). The eradication of housing discrimination is a policy that Congress considered to be "of the highest priority". Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 409 U.S. 205, 211 (1972). This training will address, among other topics, the availably of attorney fees under federal and state civil rights statutes pertaining to housing discrimination claims; the various standards for awarding attorney fees for plaintiffs, defendants, complainants, and respondents in state and administrative proceedings; and the "lodestar" and "Laffey Matrix" approaches for quantifying the attorney fee award. Significant time will also be made available for participating who have questions regarding fair housing cases and attorney fee awards. 

There is no charge for this training as it is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). If you have questions, or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Farrah Wilder, Executive Director.

Tester Training

September 18, 2026 (Friday) 10 am - Noon

One important way in which you may help make fair housing a reality in the Metropolitan Detroit area is by becoming a tester.

What is Testing?

Testing is a term that refers to a process of checking the housing market to determine the treatment accorded to different homeseekers. Two individuals, alike in every respect except the variable being tested, are sent to the same rental, sales, or mortgage lending office. Testers take careful notes of what transpires. Differences in treatment often form the basis for the successful resolution of a fair housing complaint.

What is a Tester?

As a tester, you play the role of a home seeker–-a person who is looking for a home in which to live. Testers must be objective, careful observers and reporters of what transpires as they seek housing.

Why Testing?

The testing process has been consistently supported by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts as a legitimate, necessary, and often, the only method available to identify practices of unlawful housing discrimination. The reports and testimony by testers are accepted by courts as evidence of discriminatory conduct.

Where do I find out more?

All testers are required to complete a two-hour training course. The training takes place usually on a Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and are provided free of charge.

For more information about becoming a tester, please register for the tester training course. If you have additional questions or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Engela Bertolini or Takiyah Marquez or call the Fair Housing Center at 313-579-FAIR (3247).

Tester Training

December 11, 2026 (Friday) 10 am - Noon

One important way in which you may help make fair housing a reality in the Metropolitan Detroit area is by becoming a tester.

What is Testing?

Testing is a term that refers to a process of checking the housing market to determine the treatment accorded to different homeseekers. Two individuals, alike in every respect except the variable being tested, are sent to the same rental, sales, or mortgage lending office. Testers take careful notes of what transpires. Differences in treatment often form the basis for the successful resolution of a fair housing complaint.

What is a Tester?

As a tester, you play the role of a home seeker–-a person who is looking for a home in which to live. Testers must be objective, careful observers and reporters of what transpires as they seek housing.

Why Testing?

The testing process has been consistently supported by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts as a legitimate, necessary, and often, the only method available to identify practices of unlawful housing discrimination. The reports and testimony by testers are accepted by courts as evidence of discriminatory conduct.

Where do I find out more?

All testers are required to complete a two-hour training course. The training takes place usually on a Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and are provided free of charge.

For more information about becoming a tester, please register for the tester training course. If you have additional questions or require an accommodation due to a disability, please send an email to Engela Bertolini or Takiyah Marquez or call the Fair Housing Center at 313-579-FAIR (3247).

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