Complaints of housing discrimination around the country have risen 7 percent since 2001, according to the National Fair Housing Alliance, but some say housing discrimination has become more difficult to recognize in Madison.

According to Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison Director of Program Services Erika Sanders, discriminatory behavior has changed in Madison.

“Discrimination has grown more subtle and difficult to detect, but it doesn’t mean it has gone down,” Sanders said.

Housing providers do not outwardly tell people they are not going to rent to them; they use other reasons for denial, Sanders said. She said some housing providers do not tell interested parties about available housing or accurate costs of rent. She said discrimination is vastly underreported because it is so subtle.

The Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison is a non-profit, private organization that protects the civil rights of renters, Sanders said.

Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, said Madison’s clustered low-income housing demonstrates the effects of landlord discrimination against low-income residents.

“There are weird pockets of apartment buildings in one spot, surrounded by single-family homes,” Konkel said. She said the apartments have become less desirable over time, but people still rent them because of their lower prices.

“It’s a downward spiral,” Konkel said. “The landlords don’t take care of the apartments, and minorities don’t have the money to live anywhere else.”

Sanders said the goal of the center is to create equal housing opportunities and diverse communities.

“We have a number of programs to help meet the mission,” Sanders said. “We take complaints, investigate on behalf of clients, help clients seek legal remedies, and we also do lots of education and outreach.”

Sanders said the program educates landlords, real estate agents and Madison residents about housing discrimination. This way, she said, consumers know their rights and know how to seek remedy when they believe their rights have been violated so housing providers can do business in compliance with the law.

If a renter feels their rights have been violated they can fill out a complaint with the center, Sanders said. After a complaint has been filed, the center will counsel the client on how to deal with the situation.

“We see our role as keeping the clients informed, so they can make the decision that is best for them,” Sanders said.

Sanders said Fair Housing employees do not represent their clients in court, but they can refer clients to attorney’s who specialize in fair housing law.

The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin, according to a website created by Fair Housing Accessibility First, an organization designed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development to promote compliance to the Fair Housing Act. In 1974 discrimination against sex was added and in 1988 discrimination based on disability and family status was added.

Sanders said there are currently 17 legally protected categories of people it is illegal to discriminate against.

“The most common types of discrimination across the country and Dane County are race, disability and family status,” Sanders said.

According to Sanders, people of color, people with disabilities, and families with children have a barrier to finding and maintaining stable housing.

Another reason renters cannot be discriminated against is lawful source of income, she said.

This would include a “Section 8” ordinance, a low-income housing plan that would give those in need a voucher to pay up to 30 or 40 percent of their rent. Section 8 has not passed yet in Madison and last September City Council officials said many Madison landlords would not accept the voucher as viable income.

According to Sanders, if Section 8 passed, landlords must accept the voucher as a viable form of income.

Madison school superintendent Art Rainwater said the concentrated distribution of low-income housing is evident in school districts. He said he tries to draw school district boundaries to include a mix of socio-economic backgrounds, but it is difficult because Madison’s low-income housing is concentrated in specific areas.