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ABOUT US
Mission
Board of Directors
Staff
History
MISSION
The mission of the Fair Housing Justice Center is to:
- Challenge systemic discrimination that restricts access to housing opportunities or fosters segregation.
- Advocate public policies and programs that reverse the harm caused by systemic discrimination, reduce inequality, and promote open and inclusive communities.
- Upgrade and strengthen local, state, and national fair housing enforcement.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bernhard Blythe, President
Blythe Designs
Gene Capello, Vice President
Retired
Robert Martin, Treasurer
Deputy Director, District 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services
Nancy Trott, Secretary
Senior Associate, Risk Management Research Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Kennisha Austin
Clinical Teaching Fellow, Fordham University School of Law
Adele Friedman
Retired
Benjamin Geballe
Social Studies Teacher, NYC Department of Education
Roberto Marrero
Attorney
Sharon McGruder
Actor
Elora Mukherjee
Staff Attorney, ACLU Racial Justice Program
Rev. Yvette D. Wilson
Associate Dean for Student Life and Assistant Director of Recruitment, Union Theological Seminary
Note: Organizations listed are for identification purposes only.
STAFF
LaDonna Burns, Intake Analyst
Prior to joining the FHJC, Ms. Burns worked as a Legislative Assistant for the Indiana House of Representatives. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in Microbiology. Ms. Burns has lived in New York City since 2001 and is a professional singer.
Lizette Carrion, Investigative Coordinator
Ms. Carrion has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s University. She has an extensive background in entertainment and finance and worked as a tester with FHJC’s Acting for Justice program prior to joining the professional staff. Additionally, Ms. Carrion also has experience in planning, fundraising, and community education programs for non-profit organizations.
Justin Carter, Investigative Coordinator
Justin Carter worked as a tester with FHJC’s Acting for Justice program before joining the staff full time in November 2011. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Mr. Carter was the Group Leader for the UPS Mentoring Program at the Atlanta University Center and also served as a Board Member for People TV/Youth Channel in Atlanta, GA. Justin is a proud member of the iMentor program
Fred Freiberg, Executive Director
Prior to co-founding the Fair Housing Justice Center in 2004, Mr. Freiberg worked for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice where he directed a national testing program that he helped to establish in 1992. From 1999 - 2002, Mr. Freiberg directed the field work in two national research projects conducted by The Urban Institute involving testing - a study of mortgage lending practices and the national Housing Discrimination Study (HDS). During the 1980s, Mr. Freiberg worked as a fair housing consultant for private and public fair housing organizations. Mr. Freiberg was a founder and the first Executive Director of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council from 1977-1981. Since 2005, Mr. Freiberg has been co-teaching the Housing Discrimination Law Seminar at Columbia Law School.
Vanessa Gonzalez, Office Manager
Ms. Gonzalez joined the FHJC after two years with The Children’s Village in Westchester County, New York where she worked with at-risk teenagers in a transitional housing program. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton, PA in Counseling and Human Services. Ms. Gonzalez is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Kinshasa Hillery, Staff Attorney
Kinshasa Hillery holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Afro-American Studies and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. In law school, Ms. Hillery worked as a student attorney in the Fair Housing Clinical Law Program, where she provided free legal assistance to indigent clients regarding housing and informed tenants of their housing rights. Ms. Hillery also has professional experience working in the domestic violence and mental health fields.
HISTORY
The Fair Housing Justice Center, Inc. (FHJC) is a membership-based 501(c)(3) fair housing organization based in New York City. The FHJC was initially incubated as a program of HELP USA, a non-profit provider of housing and social services for homeless families and individuals. In 2004, upon learning that many formerly homeless families were encountering discriminatory barriers during their search for permanent housing, HELP USA recruited two of the nation's leading fair housing advocates, Diane L. Houk and Fred Freiberg, to organize the FHJC and fill the void left by the closing of the New York Open Housing Center in 2003.
Sponsorship by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council enabled HELP USA to access funding provided by HUD to open the FHJC in April 2005. By 2009, FHJC was an independent civil rights organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
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