DOJ and HUD warn tenants to speak up on sexual harassment in housing

High profile cases of sexual harassment in entertainment, media and politics have made headlines, but the Department of Justice has a message: it is also illegal in housing and it is a federal crime.

The Department of Justice, along with Housing and Urban Development teamed up to create the public service announcement using victims to spread the message.

The three women featured were part of lawsuits brought by the Department of Justice under the Fair Housing Act.

The women in the PSA describe their experiences with sexually abusive landlords with one landlord exposing himself and another leveraging his power as a landlord to "make his move" on a vulnerable tenant

"He was like if you don't sleep with me, then the Sheriff's will be putting you out on Monday," a victim in the video says

“Unfortunately, there are still too many landlords and managers who attempt to prey on vulnerable individuals. The launch of the nationwide PSAs is an important step in proliferating the stories of brave women and men across the country in order to raise awareness and help other victims,” said John Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, in a statement.

The PSA urges victims to speak up, report and know that resources are available.

The Fair Housing Act, first past in 1968, protects tenants from being discriminated against based on but not limited to religion, sex, race and disability. The law was enacted just one week after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

As of late, lawmakers are working to amend the FHA to include sexual orientation which a federal judge ruled could be protected under the law.