The Enforcers:  Kenneth Saunders, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs Director and His OHREP Team

Affirmatively furthering fair housing is not just about uncovering discrimination and ensuring that citizens are treated equally when seeking housing. It ensures that localities enforce policies in place.

When housing or employment discrimination complaints are filed, the team at the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP) steps in. Guiding that team to resolve these cases is a man whose convictions maintain that residents, regardless of their background or status, be treated fairly. And that is the law.
       
“Our family was always socially conscious and that struck a chord with me,” said Kenneth Saunders, Director of OHREP. Following a calling to help others, he knew working on social justice issues was right.

After a stint in the Navy, Saunders buckled down to learn. “Right before I graduated from college, I had an aunt, the family matriarch, who decided to start law school in her 60s,” he said. “She wanted to make a difference in the world. This amazed me. She told me to think about it, too. My family has always been involved with civil rights, going back to my grandfather.” This triggered his ambition to clinch a seat – and a scholarship – at The Ohio State University’s Law School. 

After an impressive string of positions in human rights offices around the country, Saunders competed against 400 applicants for a spot in the administration of DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams, where he worked for nearly four years. Shortly after that, he was hired by Fairfax County to replace the retiring Michael Cash. His dedication to working on diversity programs and discrimination cases paid off.

THE SECRET SAUCE FOR FAIR HOUSING: EDUCATION
Serving as the head of OHREP since 2008, Saunders attributes the team’s progress to the recent cross-training of the investigative and administrative staff. This boosted productivity for cases while sustaining a lean staff. Last year, the OHREP team conducted 53 education and outreach events throughout Fairfax County. Many of these events targeted new immigrant communities and those with limited English proficiency.
States and federal courts help establish the fair housing practices, he said. The OHREP staff teaches people and businesses how to deal with fairness issues in the housing market and in the workforce. 

“Every locale has its issues and problems,” Saunders explained. “What we run into [in Fairfax County] in many instances are cases where individuals may not follow the law due to a lack of knowledge. We try to offer training to both residents and businesses since there can be ignorance of the law that was not intentional.” 

“What we run into [in Fairfax County] in many instances are cases where individuals may not follow the law due to a lack of knowledge.”

ACCOMMODATING THE DISABLED
Disability is the top complaint, taking up 38 percent of the caseload.  Problems arise because of the requirement for property owners to make accommodations or modifications for their tenants with special needs or from the need to provide accessible parking, he explained.

“Realtors® may not know,” he said. “We really try to educate people. There are requirements to make accommodations or modifications for these people. Property managers may not know.”

Compared to employment attitudes in other parts of the country, Saunders is proud of our region’s track record. “I think because of the kind of industries that we have here, that people are astute,” he pointed out. “Government contractors have people who are very professional,” he explained.

FAIRFAX COUNTY GETS IT!
“This country is more segregated now than it was in the 1960s,” Saunders noted. “I think it is different in Fairfax County. Fairfax County is light years ahead of even Washington, D.C. when you talk about the diversity of its population,” he said. “And that is refreshing. Most of us are welcoming the 21st Century, but there is a segment of the population that wants it to stay the way it used to be,” he pointed out. 

“I still see problems,” he said. “However, I am an optimist. We do not have to agree on everything, but for all of us to succeed, we need to get along.” Saunders’ parting advice for consumers: “You should expect to be treated fairly. It is your right.” And to Realtors®, “You have the obligation to treat everyone the same. It is good for business, and it is the right thing to do.”