By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Wed, Nov 16, 2005 (7:41 a.m.)

The state agency charged with responding to discrimination in the workplace has started handling certain housing discrimination complaints, an official from that agency said.

Since Oct. 1, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission has been receiving all complaints from people who feel they have been discriminated against in renting or buying housing, except for those related to home loans, which must be filed with the federal government.

The change "gives people another option that may be more convenient" and "shows people that the state cares about discrimination in housing as much as employment," said Susan Gray, the commission administrator.

For years, Nevada was one of about 13 states that didn't have an on-the-ground agency dealing with the issue, even as Las Vegas became the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan area.

"As the valley grows more, there's more potential for discrimination," said Jason Jarvinen, fair housing advocate at Nevada Fair Housing Center Inc., a nonprofit organization.

Under state law, the agency had the jurisdiction to receive such complaints, but "for budgetary and enormous backlog reasons we didn't," Gray said.

So complainants were sent to the Housing and Urban Development Department's regional office in San Francisco.

The state commission now investigates complaints, can hold public hearings, issue findings and order a landlord or property owner to cease and desist such actions as evicting or harassing a tenant or potential buyer if those actions are found to be based on discrimination.

Complainants can still file with HUD in San Francisco.

Gray's agency had reduced its backlog in employment discrimination complaints notably in recent years by changing certain processes and hiring more investigators. Five years ago the agency took more than a year to resolve complaints but cases now average 140 days, she said.

Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, has followed this issue since 1997.

She said the commission's performance handling housing discrimination will be looked at in the next two years to determine if it could finally deal with the issue more thoroughly.

"We would like to see them (commission officials) handle all complaints and have the proper funding to do so," she said.

"But to do that they would have to demonstrate that they can do the job well -- impartial with both parties and with efficiency."

Timothy Pratt can be reached at 259-8828 or at timothy@lasvegassun.com.