Ms. Houghtaling was most recently Executive Director of HOPE Fair Housing Center in Wheaton, Illinois. She is an attorney* who has worked in fair housing since 1995, with experience in investigation methodology and design, developing training and curricula for consumers, fair housing advocates and the industry, and creating new fair housing organizations. She also has extensive experience leading fair housing enforcement actions. Ms. Houghtaling has led and managed several fair housing organizations, at both the local and national level. She has been an expert consultant in fair housing investigations around the country, has taught at the National Fair Housing Alliance’s Fair Housing School© for over a decade, and has been a speaker at a large number of industry and non-profit events.
As Director of Enforcement & Investigations at the National Fair Housing Alliance from 2001-2011, Ms. Houghtaling oversaw two major government enforcement testing contracts. In addition, she oversaw several NFHA initiated investigations, including an investigation of builders for compliance with the Fair Housing Act’s design & construction requirements, and a national investigation of internet housing advertisements. As a result of evidence from these testing and investigation projects, NFHA filed both administrative complaints and federal court litigation. Both federal and state administrative agencies have issued charges of discrimination as a result of Ms. Houghtaling’s investigations. Many of these cases have resulted in affirmative relief through conciliation agreements and consent decrees.
Ms. Houghtaling received both her B.A. and her J.D, cum laude, from the University of Arizona. While in law school, she was a member of the International and Comparative Law Journal.
*Admitted in Illinois only; application for admission to the District of Columbia Bar filed; practices under the supervision of District of Columbia Bar members.
