Heidi Barringer, who identified herself as the new grant coordinator for planning and development with the county, presented a summary of federal fair‑housing protections and local resources at the Nov. 24 council meeting.

Barringer traced the law’s expansion: initial coverage in 1968 (race, color, national origin, religion), later additions in 1974 and 1988 (as noted in her remarks), and she emphasized familial status and disability protections. She highlighted common landlord‑tenant issues that can indicate discrimination — differential treatment of applicants, steering people to different neighborhoods, refusing repairs for certain tenants, or making advertising that implies a preference for a protected group. Barringer said service‑animal rules prohibit charging a deposit or a monthly fee for a legally recognized service animal, although landlords can seek payment for damage. She directed residents to the county office, the state fair‑housing resource center and a civil‑rights office in Cleveland for filing complaints or getting legal assistance and left contact information and printed materials on a back table.

Barringer asked attendees (including local landlords) to focus advertising on building qualities rather than people, and offered to answer individual questions after the presentation.