FAIR HOUSING KEYS. The Newsletter of Wisconsin s Fair Housing Council and its Satellite Offices

Transcription

1 Summer 2009 FAIR HOUSING KEYS The Newsletter of Wisconsin s Fair Housing Council and its Satellite Offices LANDLORDS DENIED HOUSING TO SINGLE MOM: COMPLAINT SETTLES Kanita Brawley, a single parent, has settled a housing discrimination complaint against the Joseph Peltz Trusts and Crystal Sahr, the owners and manager of rental housing in West Allis. Brawley alleged that co-trustees of the Peltz Trusts and their property manager, Crystal Sahr, had illegally denied her the opportunity to rent an apartment based on the presence of children in her household. Discrimination based on familial status, meaning the presence of minor children in the household, is prohibited by state and federal fair housing law. As part of the settlement, the Peltz Trusts cotrustees, Arnold and Rebecca Peltz, agreed to pay $18,000 to Brawley. The Peltzes and Sahr also agreed to undergo fair housing training. Brawley s complaint, which was filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), stemmed from her April 2007 interaction with Sahr. Brawley called Sahr to inquire about an apartment for rent at an 8-unit building on South 115th Court in West Allis. Sahr asked Brawley if the apartment was for her, and Brawley replied that it would be for herself and her two daughters. Sahr told her that tenants with children were not accepted. I was frustrated, angry and hurt, says Brawley of her experience. My daughters, who were 10 and 11 at the time, kept questioning why it happened. They thought it was their fault. Brawley contacted the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council with children that the landlords didn t rent to families with kids anymore. In contrast, Sahr provided a tester without children information about the apartment, including the rent and date of availability. Brawley subsequently filed complaints with HUD and the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD). In August 2007, the ERD issued a Charge and Initial Determination finding probable cause to believe that Sahr and Peltz violated the Wisconsin Open Housing Law. In the course of the HUD investigation, Sahr and Peltz maintained that they did permit families with children on the first floor, but no children had resided in the property for approximately a year and a half at the time of the HUD investigation. It is illegal under fair housing law to restrict children to certain areas of the building. (MMFHC). MMFHC counseled Brawley on her fair housing rights and options for pursuing her complaint. MMFHC also investigated Brawley s allegation using an investigative method known as testing. During the investigation, Sahr told a tester Brawley says that when she experienced discrimination, I knew it was illegal, but I have friends and family members who wouldn t know that. I hope all people are aware of their rights. Now that the settlement has occurred, I am happy and relieved that [the Peltzes and Sahr] will have to adhere to fair housing laws, and that it will be fair to everyone else who comes through and applies. To learn more about fair housing and MMFHC s part in creating an equal housing market, visit or call

2 Fair Housing Writes Summer 2009 $9000 Settlement Reached in Milwaukee Discrimination Case Cheri Jordan has settled a housing discrimination complaint against Milwaukee housing provider Arthur Altenburg for $9000. Jordan s complaint alleged discrimination based on her disability, family status and lawful source of income. In May 2007, Jordan contacted Altenburg to inquire about a twobedroom house for rent. In response to Altenburg s questions, Jordan told him that she was disabled, she received Social Security income, and that her daughter and infant grandson lived with her. Altenburg responded by saying that he doesn t deal with people like Jordan. NEW BLURB NEEDED REGARDING THIS STORY Jordan contacted MMFHC and filed a complaint. During a subsequent investigation conducted by MMFHC, Altenburg told a tester who had characteristics similar to Jordan s that he preferred to rent to a couple. In contrast, a tester who was married with a child was able to schedule an appointment with Altenburg to view the home. MMFHC subsequently assisted Jordan in filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD). In July 2007, the ERD issued a Charge and Initial Determination finding probable cause to believe that Altenburg violated the Wisconsin Open Housing Law. The complaint settled in September Jordan was represented by Attorney Michael J. Cohn of Zetley and Cohn, S.C. As Attorney Cohn observed, most people are not aware of the difficulties that people with children or nontraditional family arrangements have finding housing. Ms. Jordan was a case in point. Race Discrimination Case Settles for $15,000 Jacqueline Ruiz, an African American woman, has settled a race discrimination complaint against Milos Micic, the owner of a four-unit building in Milwaukee. Under the terms of the settlement, Micic will pay Ruiz $15,000. In October 2007, Ruiz saw a for rent sign outside Micic s property on West Nebraska Avenue. She contacted Micic and made an appointment to see the available unit. After Micic showed her the apartment, Ruiz submitted an application. When Ruiz called later to inquire about the status of her application, Micic told her that the apartment was rented. Several weeks later, Ruiz saw the for rent sign again in front of Micic s property. She called and once again made an appointment to see the available apartment. When she arrived for the appointment, Micic told Ruiz that the apartment was rented and closed the door. Ruiz contacted MMFHC and received information about her fair housing rights and options for legal remedy. MMFHC also conducted a testing investigation on Ruiz s behalf. An African American tester met with Micic, saw the available apartment and was given an application. When a white tester met with Micic shortly thereafter, Micic told the white tester that there had been a black woman visiting the unit earlier and that he didn t like it and didn t want to rent to blacks. In subsequent phone calls made by the testers, Micic told the white tester that he d prefer to rent to her and that she should apply immediately. MMFHC assisted Ruiz in filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD), In February 2008, the ERD issued a Charge and Initial Determination finding probable cause to believe that Micic violated the Wisconsin Open Housing Law. The complaint settled in September Ruiz was represented by Attorney Michael J. Cohn of Zetley and Cohn, S.C. According to Attorney Cohn, this case highlights that in 21st century America, housing discrimination based on race still exists, which again demonstrates the need for the. Hartford Family Status Complaint Settles Sarah Wallk, the mother of an infant, has settled a housing discrimination complaint against Lorraine and Donald Haller for $2000. Wallk s complaint stemmed from interactions with the Hallers in January 2008, when she called to ask about a one-bedroom apartment for rent in Hartford. Over the course of two telephone calls, the Hallers told Wallk that the apartment was for single people and that they did not accept children in the 32-unit complex. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against families with children. Wallk called MMFHC and filed a complaint. MMFHC conducted a testing investigation on Wallk s behalf. During the course of the investigation, Lorraine Haller told a single parent with a child that the apartments were for single people and that they did not rent to people with children. When a single tester with no children spoke to Lorraine Haller, Haller told the tester that there were two available apartments and gave the tester information about how to contact the on-site manager to make an appointment to view them. MMFHC subsequently assisted Wallk in filing complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD). In April 2008, the ERD issued a Charge and Initial Determination finding probable cause to believe that the Hallers violated the Wisconsin Open Housing Law. Wallk and the Hallers agreed to settle the complaint in July 2008 through the ERD. In addition to agreeing to pay $2000 to Wallk, the Hallers will use a HUD Equal Housing Opportunity poster in their business and will establish an occupancy standard of two persons per bedroom in their units. MMFHC Settles Franklin Accessibility Case MMFHC has settled a complaint against the builder, owner and architect of Kaitlin Woods Condominiums, a 156-unit complex in Franklin, Wisconsin. The property was built by Kaitlin Woods LLC, a company owned by Brenden Sullivan, and designed by John Barron Shepard of Sheperd Partnership. The respondents plan to build 78 more units at this site. MMFHC filed a complaint with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in February 2007, after an investigation revealed that the complex failed to comply with several of the federal Fair Housing Act s guidelines for newly constructed multifamily housing. Federal accessibility guidelines require accessible routes into and throughout dwelling units, accessible environmental controls and accessible common use areas. Kaitlin Woods Condominiums failed to comply with these requirements. Some lower-floor units had a 5-inch step at their entrances, overly narrow doorways, bathroom walls that weren t reinforced for grab bars and overly high thermostat controls. Further, mailboxes located in the parking lot of the complex were inaccessible because there was no curb cut leading to them, and some mailboxes were higher than the maximum height permitted by federal accessibility guidelines. As part of the settlement, the respondents agreed to rectify the problems identified by MMFHC on ground-floor units within one year, and to design and construct all future housing in compliance with federal accessibility requirements. The respondents will also pay MMFHC s attorneys fees, and will establish an escrow account to pay for modifications of units at Kaitlin Woods when requested by current and future condominium owners. The escrow account will be administered by an independent third party. In addition, the respondents will use the Fair Housing/Disability logo in all their printed materials, advertisements and signs and post the HUD Equal Housing Opportunity poster in their sales office. HUD will monitor compliance with the settlement agreement for up to five years. MMFHC was represented by Attorney Michael J. Cohn of Zetley and Cohn, S.C. Attorney Cohn noted, many housing providers deny housing opportunities to persons with disabilities because they are ignorant of the law, or they stereotype them as lower income and as more demanding. It is essential, therefore, for the to hold housing providers accountable. Age Discrimination Complaint Settles Melissa Mallum and her mother, Cindy Mallum, have settled a housing discrimination complaint against Dominic Ambroselli, the owner of Paradise Apartments in West Bend for a combined $3500. Cindy Mallum was assisting her daughter, Melissa, in looking for an apartment in July At the time, Melissa Mallum was just about to turn 18 years old and was hoping to move shortly after her eighteenth birthday. After they viewed a one-bedroom unit at Paradise Apartments, Cindy Mallum told the rental agent that although Melissa was still 17, she would wait to move until she turned 18 at the end of July so that she could sign her own lease without a co-signer. An application was submitted. A few days later, a rental agent at Paradise Apartments told Cindy Mallum that the application had been denied because the owners preferred to rent to people over 21 years of age. The Wisconsin Open Housing Law prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, and protects people 18 years of age and older. The Mallums contacted MMFHC and filed complaints. After counseling them on their rights and options for legal remedy, MMFHC conducted a testing investigation on the Mallums behalf. MMFHC also assisted the Mallums in filing complaints with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division (ERD). In April 2008, the ERD issued a Charge and Initial Determination finding probable cause to believe that Ambroselli violated the Wisconsin Open Housing Law. The Mallums and Ambroselli settled the complaint in August In addition to paying $3500 to the Mallums, Ambroselli will undergo fair housing training and use an Equal Housing Opportunity logo and poster on his rental materials. In addition, the ERD may monitor Ambroselli s compliance with the settlement for up to three years. To learn more about Fair Housing and MMFHC s part in creating an equal housing market, visit or call

3 Milwaukee Steps Up Efforts to Combat Foreclosure Crisis In an effort to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the rising tide of foreclosures, City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett formed the Milwaukee Foreclosure Partnership Initiative (MFPI) in September The MFPI will develop recommendations on how to prevent foreclosures, as well as for the use of $9.2 million that Milwaukee was awarded under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and will complement the work of MMFHC s STOPP program to assist predatory loan victims. Bethany Sanchez, MMFHC Vice President of Community and Economic Development, serves on the MFPI steering committee and each of its three workgroups: foreclosure prevention, foreclosure intervention and neighborhood stabilization. Leticia Cureno, MMFHC Fair Lending Services Coordinator, and Lemuel Eaton, MMFHC Fair Lending Services Administrator, serve on the MFPI foreclosure intervention workgroup. Other participants in the MFPI include lenders, real estate professionals, staff from HUD, City Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, academic leaders from Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, non-profit housing developers, housing counselors, and others. There are over 4,000 open foreclosure filings in the City that will likely result in an increase in vacant and abandoned properties. NSP According to the City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) plan, there are over 4,000 open foreclosure filings in the City that will likely result in an increase in vacant and abandoned properties. Such properties have the potential to fuel crime and depress neighborhood property values. According to NSP documents, boarded-up homes have increased over 50% and vacant house fires have doubled. Further, minority and low-income neighborhoods, already weakened by decades of disinvestment and segregation, have been disproportionately impacted by the foreclosure crisis. As the NSP notes, Home equity, which is the single largest source of wealth building for most low and moderate income families, is being erased. According to Sanchez, The City of Milwaukee recognizes that the health of the City is dependent on how we react to the foreclosure crisis. Two decades of progress in neighborhood improvement and homeownership rates is quickly being erased by this crisis. The Mayor, through the MFPI, has brought new voices to the table, adding fresh perspectives and ideas about how to proceed from here. We re working to attack this problem from every possible angle. Fair Housing Writes Summer 2009 MMFHC Wins Federal Contract MMFHC has been awarded a three-year, $824,764 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) contract through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD s FHIP grants are awarded in a highly competitive application process, and only organizations with a proven track record of success with HUD funding are eligible for threeyear contracts. Most other FHIP-funded organizations receive contracts just 12 or 18 months in duration. MMFHC, which has been awarded nearly 20 FHIP contracts since its creation, receives consistently high evaluation scores from its grant monitors. Beginning in early 2009, MMFHC will use this FHIP funding to support: direct services to victims of housing discrimination, including complaint intake and investigation assistance to victims of predatory lending, including counseling and foreclosure prevention and intervention systemic investigations of illegal housing discrimination MMFHC Helps Borrowers Stay in their Homes FHIP funding helps sustain the backbone of MMFHC s work, notes William R. Tisdale, MMFHC President and CEO. If the federal Fair Housing Act is to be enforced in any meaningful way, it s incredibly important that the federal government continue to partner with private organizations. Thanks to assistance from MMFHC, more and more borrowers who have found themselves at risk of foreclosure have been able to renegotiate their loans and keep their homes. Two recent cases illustrate how predatory lending wreaks havoc on at-risk homeowners, and how MMFHC can help. Lemuel Eaton, MMFHC Fair Lending Services Administrator, began working with Dorothy Mayes in early Mayes, who is elderly and African American, lives in Milwaukee. In 2006, she and her husband refinanced their home loan into an adjustable rate mortgage with City Mortgage Services. At first, the new loan s payments were lower than those on their old mortgage. Mayes s husband passed away in early 2007, and while she grieved her loss and her income dropped, she was notified that the mortgage payments would begin to grow. Before long, her 7.75% interest rate was 10.75%, and her $600-a-month payment had swelled to over $1000. Mayes later told a reporter, I was getting further and further behind on all the bills. It was at the point where I would sit in the house without my lights on because I just couldn t afford it. It was scary. Eventually, Mayes fell behind on her mortgage by approximately $10,000. Mayes contacted MMFHC and began working with Eaton. Eaton helped Mayes organize her loan documents and counseled her on her options. With technical assistance from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Eaton wrote a letter to City Mortgage Services, explaining Mayes s financial situation. I got to know and care about Mrs. Mayes, said Eaton. Historically, she d been a good borrower. She deserved a better situation. After Eaton s intervention, City Mortgage Services agreed to re-write the loan, incorporate the $10,000 arrears into the principal, and lower the interest rate to 3.75%. Mayes can now afford her loan and is no longer at risk of losing her home. Leticia Cureno, MMFHC Fair Lending Services Coordinator, has also had clients with a remarkable success story. The Legal Aid Society referred an elderly Latino couple, Hortencia and Ruben Tostado, to MMFHC. The couple s Milwaukee home was already in foreclosure proceedings. The Tostados, who do not speak English, had what they believed to be a 30-year fixed interest rate mortgage, with a low interest rate. In fact, their loan through Homecomings Financial Services was an adjustable rate mortgage of up to 10.35%, though the couple never understood why their mortgage rate changed repeatedly. They kept paying their mortgage faithfully every month, at what they believed to be the correct amount, until they got several checks back with notice that their payments were no longer accepted. The Tostados s income was derived from Social Security payments and a part-time cleaning job, and was not sufficient to make the new monthly payments. They were on the verge of having to look for a place to rent, said Cureno. They thought the foreclosure was unavoidable. Cureno, who is bilingual in Spanish and English, worked with her clients and the lender to renegotiate the loan. At the end of October 2008, Homecomings Financial Services agreed to re-write a loan for the couple at an interest rate of just 3%. I think banks are having to be a little more flexible now that they understand the scope of the foreclosure problem, said Cureno. Banks are seeing the results of foreclosure more clearly, as homes fall into disrepair and entire neighborhoods are hurt. Foreclosures continue to skyrocket in Wisconsin, with the highest rates in Milwaukee County s low income and minority neighborhoods. In 2007, MMFHC conducted intake of 229 predatory lending complaints; in 2008, intake numbers grew by over 40%. For more information about MMFHC s fair lending services, or for help with a lending problem, call our predatory lending hotline at

4 Fair Housing Writes Summer 2009 Madison s Inclusionary Zoning Law Ends Madison s inclusionary zoning (IZ) ordinance came to an end on January 2, The term inclusionary zoning refers to legislation that requires real estate developers to integrate affordable units into all newly constructed housing developments. In return, developers are awarded various financial incentives. When effectively written and implemented, IZ ordinances elsewhere in the U.S. have resulted in socioeconomically integrated housing patterns. Madison s version of an IZ ordinance, enacted in 2004, required that 15% of units in new multifamily housing projects be made affordable to people earning less than Dane County s median income. Affordable housing advocates in Madison viewed IZ as just one tool among many that could help households with low and moderate incomes to have fair housing opportunities. Initially, the law applied to housing for rent and for sale. Prior to its inception and at every stage of its existence, the IZ ordinance faced numerous challenges from the housing industry, although approximately 173 units were eventually developed under the ordinance. The Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin successfully sued the City of Madison to have the law s application to the rental market nullified, arguing that the IZ ordinance was in violation of the Wisconsin statute prohibiting rent control. With the rental market no longer subject to IZ, the ordinance could only assist housing consumers with moderate incomes who were ready to become homeowners, not households with lower incomes. Real estate developers also claimed that they found the law too complicated and expensive. The ordinance was amended multiple times to address such concerns, but never won developers support, and Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has decided to let the ordinance die. Madison Alder Brenda Konkel, one of the main proponents and authors of the IZ ordinance, notes that the end of IZ is a sad statement about our commitment to having housing for everyone in our community. MMFHC Creates Video for First-Time Homebuyers Sometimes it s difficult for first-time homebuyers to recognize discrimination when it s happening. In today s housing market, discrimination is often subtle and difficult to detect, especially for those who have never navigated the complex processes of obtaining a home loan, working with a real estate broker and purchasing appropriate homeowners insurance. The need for fair housing education for first-time buyers is high. In response, MMFHC has created a short instructional video entitled Fair Housing Keys: Opening the Door to Your First Home, which illustrates how discrimination occurs in the home purchase process. The video, narrated by Milwaukee radio personality Eric Von, is comprised of six vignettes that show how mortgage lenders, real estate agents and insurance agents discriminate based on race, ethnicity and national origin. Professional actors donated their time and talent to portray the housing provider and home seekers in each vignette. For example, in one scene, a real estate agent meets with a white couple and offers to show them houses in a predominately white suburb with an overwhelmingly white school district, but steers them away from homes in a racially diverse area by making derogatory remarks about the quality and racial composition of the schools. In contrast, the same real estate agent offers to show an African American couple homes in that same racially diverse school district, saying the schools are very fine. Racial steering is a violation of fair housing law, as it illegally limits home seekers choices and perpetuates segregation. Screen Shot to come I think this video will be a fantastic tool in our efforts to help home seekers, said MMFHC President and CEO William R. Tisdale. The concrete examples of discrimination shown in the video will really help people understand what they should be on the lookout for. The video will be used during MMFHC s fair housing and fair lending educational presentations. For information about how to schedule presentation for your group, contact Felita Daniels Ashley at , Tobi LeMahieu at , or Kristi Clover at Production of the video was supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Initiatives Program. Tisdale testifies before National Commission In July 2008, MMFHC President and CEO William R. Tisdale traveled to Chicago to speak before the National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Tisdale s remarks focused on the federal government s failure to affirmatively further fair housing through partnerships with private organizations and local Community Development Block Grant programs. Tisdale urged the Commission to promote regional and national partnerships aimed at dismantling systemic forms of housing discrimination, and to hold Community Development Block Grant programs accountable for supporting fair housing work. Speakers representing other civil rights organizations described current levels of segregation and discrimination in housing markets nationwide, the effects of segregation and the importance of expanding housing choice. The hearing, which was entitled Still Separate and Unequal: The State of Fair Housing in America, was one of a series held around the country. Commissioners present at the Chicago event included former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretaries Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros, I. King Jordan, President Emeritus of Gallaudet University, Pat Combs, Immediate Past President of the National Association of Realtors, Gordon Quan, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem and Housing Committee Chair, and Okianer Christian Dark, Associate Dean of Academics at Howard University College of Law. The Commission was formed as a joint project of the NAACP Legal We need a new, national vision for the fair housing movement, and a plan that brings all stakeholders together to collaborate in innovative and powerful ways. Bill Tisdale Defense Fund, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the National Fair Housing Alliance. According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, the Chicago hearing received coverage by the Chicago Tribune, Crain s Chicago Business, The Bradenton Herald, National Public Radio, Chicago Public Radio, ABC News and others. Forty years Under Law, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the National Fair Housing Alliance. Forty years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, the Commission was convened to travel across the country to collect information and hear testimony about the nature and extent of illegal housing discrimination, its connection with government policy and practice, and its effect on our communities. The Commission was created through a partnership of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the National Fair Housing Alliance.nation, its connection with government policy and practice, and its effect on our communities. Forty years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, the Commission was convened to travel across the country to collect information and hear testimony about the nature and extent of illegal housing discrimination, its connection with government policy and practice, and its effect on our communities. Shop with a Conscience! Combine shopping with social justice! If you make purchases online, please visit www. igive.com and become a member. Becoming a member is free, and enables you to shop at over 700 online retailers through the igive.com site. A percentage of your purchases can be donated to MMFHC, the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison, or the Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin. Each office is listed as a donation recipient on igive.com. Participating retailers include Pottery Barn, Barnes and Noble, Land s End, the Gap, Office Depot, Overstock.com, Back to Basics Toys, FLOWERS, Patagonia, the Body Shop, the Apple Store and Apple itunes, Coldwater Creek, J. Jill, Pottery Barn, REI, Sephora, Toys R Us, and many more. The percentage of your purchase donated to the cause of your choice varies from 1-26%, depending on the retailer.

5 Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council 600 E. Mason Street, Suite 200 Milwaukee, WI MMFHC NEWS & NOTES Contact Information 600 E. Mason Street, Suite 200 Milwaukee, WI Phone: Fax: Predatory Lending Hotline: Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison 600 Williamson Street, Suite L4, Madison, WI Phone: Fax: Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin 4650 W. Spencer Street, Suite 2, Appleton, WI Phone: Fax: Toll-free statewide complaint intake line: FAIR (3247) [for use outside the 414 area code predatory lending hotline (see above)] Staff Updates Kori Schneider-Peragine has been promoted to Senior Administrator Program Services. In her new role, she will assume additional program administration responsibilities, including fundraising, strategic planning, program design and data collection. Kristi Clover has been hired as Program Services Coordinator for the Fair Housing Center of Northeast Wisconsin (FHCNW) office. Kristi graduated from St. Cloud State University and has completed some coursework in urban planning at the University of Wisconsin Madison. At FHCNW, Kristi will be responsible for coordinating investigations and conducting outreach and education in FHCNW s four-county service area. Kathy Groat has come out of retirement to assist FHCNW on a part-time basis. Kathy, a long-time MMFHC employee, will provide assistance to Kristi Clover in education and outreach activities. Robert Arthur has joined MMFHC as a Research Coordinator and Jennifer Cherry is now an MMFHC Research Assistant.