A class action lawsuit is filed against the Omaha Housing Authority for rent violations

TRANSCRIPT OF THE MISSION:

The class action lawsuit alleges that tenants of properties within the Omaha Housing Authority have overpaid rent, been denied due process, and in some cases have even been evicted from their homes.

“They all said, ‘I talked to someone at OHA… I don’t understand how I’m supposed to pay for this, and they were told… you just have to do it… or in some cases they were told you can move’… wrong answer,” Mayhem said.

Kate Mayhem is one of seven attorneys in the case. Her partner at Abraham’s Law Firm, Diane Uchimiya, says they hope this lawsuit will bring about change.

“We want tenants to be aware and have the opportunity to do what the law actually requires,” Mayhem said.

The lawsuit centers on two groups of people: one group of residents whose rent was increased without notice, and another group of residents who were neither informed nor given the opportunity to apply for a hardship exemption that, depending on their situation, would have allowed them to pay zero dollars in rent.

“Their policy says they’re supposed to notify people and give them an opportunity to appeal. That’s required by law. That’s in their policy. And they didn’t do that,” Mayhem said.

Class action lawsuits don’t happen often, but according to Uchimiya…

What came to light were systemic problems. And what justifies a class action lawsuit is the fact that the rights of so many people are affected,” said Uchimiya.

The lawsuit also alleges that OHA has not honestly complied with its lease agreement for the past seven years and that portions of it violate federal housing law.

We have called and emailed OHA to give them a chance to comment on this story and have not yet received a response.