Amy Nelson, Executive Director of the NDFHC stated, "John Haider has violated the civil rights of numerous Bismarck residents and it’s shocking that this sort of thing is happening in our community."

Since 1995, the NDFHC has received over 15 complaints of discrimination against Mr. Haider. On the basis of the complaints, the NDFHC conducted an investigation of Mr. Haider’s business operations. Mr. Haider owns apartments throughout Bismarck.

The investigation by the NDFHC confirmed the basis for the complaints. The complaint charges that Mr. Haider routinely denies rental housing to unmarried couples, single mothers and families with children. The investigation found that when prospective tenants tell Mr. Haider that they are not married or a single mother, Mr. Haider often refuses to show them apartments, tries to steer them into undesirable units, or charges them more rent for the units than he would a married couple.

The investigation also found that families with young children were steered to certain units. These practices violate both federal and state laws against housing discrimination.

"As we conducted our investigation, it became very clear that there were a number of discrepancies in apartment availability and price and how people were treated based solely upon whether they were a single mother, an unmarried couple, or because of their age or national origin," explained Nelson.

In addition, the complaint charges that Mr. Haider told one fair housing investigator that he would not rent to Native Americans because they are dirty. He also stated that he would not rent to anyone on housing assistance. He claimed that he would not rent to divorced women because they had violated their marriage vows, and therefore, they would not be good renters.

Several Bismarck residents who were denied housing by Mr. Haider are also part of the lawsuit. The complaint charges that one Bismarck resident was looking for housing for herself and her three children and called Mr. Haider about available apartments that were being advertised. Mr. Haider refused to show her any of his available apartments, saying that he only rented to families that included a man. Two Bismarck couples were also denied from inspecting available apartments because they were not married.

Mr. Haider also denied housing to a nineteen year old male and his three roommates because they were too young, according to the complaint. Mr. Haider told a fair housing investigator that he thinks all teenagers are hoodlums and that he refuses to rent to college students. It is illegal in North Dakota to deny housing on the basis of age.

The federal law that governs housing discrimination is the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which was passed by Congress in 1968. The FHA forbids discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, familial status (presence of children), or disability. The North Dakota Century Code on Human Rights forbids similar kinds of discrimination and also gives further protection to individuals on the basis of age, source of income, and marital status.

The North Dakota Fair Housing Council is a North Dakota non-profit organization located in Bismarck. The NDFHC’s mission is to provide support, encouragement, and assistance to those seeking equal access to housing in the state of North Dakota. The NDFHC also investigates complaints of housing discrimination.