601 Lakeside Ave, Room 320
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
P: 216.664.4529
F: 216.664.4006
Hablamos Español: 216.664.2019
Weekdays 8 am to 5 pm
The Office of Fair Housing & Consumer Affairs (FHCA) contributes to the overall mission of improving quality of life in the City of Cleveland through education and mediation for consumers in order to resolve consumer-related complaints. FHCA enforces Cleveland’s 1972 Consumer Protection Code, 1976 Fair Housing Code, and its 1994 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Program. The office works with public and private consumer complaint agencies and prosecutes code violators. It promotes legal consciousness and an atmosphere of market fairness in consumer, housing, and banking matters.
Fair Housing Board
The Fair Housing Board was formed to ensure that Clevelanders receive fair and equal treatment in relation to housing. Housing discrimination can be due to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group, Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status, familial status, marital status or ancestry. In addition, the Fair Housing Board promotes the principles of the City of Cleveland's Diversity Starement.
Consumer Affairs
Consumer Affairs educates the public regarding scams and fraudulent business practices. It works with the media, holds public neighborhood forums, and works cooperatively with private and governmental consumer agencies. It interacts with various levels of government to impact key consumer issues, ranging from Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) rate matters to banking practices. This office may subpoena witnesses and hold hearings to determine whether a vendor has engaged in unfair practices with a Cleveland consumer. Along with field work, this may result in prosecution.
Bank Relations
Bank Relations administrates The CRA Program. This program is based upon an ordinance passed in 1994 to address the relative lack of credit and related services in the City of Cleveland especially for minorities and low-income persons and city neighborhoods. -more
The objectives of the CRA program are:
- Review banks loans, investments and services
- Negotiate annual lending goals & commitments with area lenders
- Monitor progress of financial institutions towards meeting stated goals and objectives
- Create partnerships for information exchange
- Coordinate evaluation of applicants receiving city deposits (based on service and investment to residents and businesses) with Finance Department
- Undertake initiatives or special projects related to credit, credit-related services and housing finance
This office partners with over 25 banks & non-profit housing service providers to publish annual Cleveland Mortgage & Repair Bulletins. The Mortgage Bulletin offers helpful tips for prospective Cleveland home buyers and outlines updated affordable and CRA mortgage loan information from local mortgage originators. –More
The Home Repair Loan Program Bulletin offers information on home rehabilitation opportunities in Cleveland and also outlines current home repair loan products and services offered by the City of Cleveland, local lending institutions and non-profit organizations. –More
