Safeguard Responds to NFHA Complaint
On April 8, 2014, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) conducted an online news conference to announce an amendment to a complaint they filed with HUD nearly a year ago accusing Safeguard Properties of providing higher levels of preservation services in predominately white neighborhoods than properties in largely African American and Latino neighborhoods. Safeguard is issuing the following statement in response:
Safeguard is disappointed that NFHA has taken this opportunity to conduct a press conference discussing this complaint. Since the complaint was originally filed, we have worked with HUD through the administrative process and have complied with information requests. We have asked NFHA for details on the actual properties they base their complaints on; and they have not cooperated with us. Safeguard has and will continue to cooperate with HUD’s investigation of this matter.
Safeguard performs services following Industry Standards set forth by Investors and our clients pursuant to service agreements. The standards pursuant to which Safeguard performs services do not vary based on the makeup of a particular community.
Safeguard neither condones nor tolerates acts of racism or business practices that would unfairly target or neglect certain neighborhoods based on location and demographics. We are outraged by the allegations made by the NFHA and we intend to dispute the claims and prove the accusations to be untrue.
We take complaints of this nature very seriously. Safeguard has a proven record of working with our clients, communities, and civic leaders throughout the country to combat blight brought on by the housing crisis. We have senior members of our leadership team that sit on the boards of community outreach groups; we host national conventions with the primary purpose of collecting and reinforcing the behavior and guidelines that preempt neighborhood deterioration; and we participate in industry and investor feedback panels where the focus is to build best practices to protect and preserve the houses that make up these communities.
NFHA plays a key role in this country in ensuring Fair Housing Laws are enforced. However, we are of the opinion that their claims in this circumstance are unfounded and we fully expect that HUD will find no basis for these claims once their investigation is concluded.
About Safeguard Properties
Safeguard Properties is the largest mortgage field services company in the U.S. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and based in Valley View, Ohio, the company inspects and maintains defaulted and foreclosed properties for the mortgage service industry. Safeguard employs approximately 1,700 people, in addition to a network of thousands of contractors nationally. Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.
