Course Description
Presenters:
William P. Cannon, III, Managing Principal at Offit | Kurman
Gwen Roy-Harrison, Principal and Co-Chair of the DEI Committee at Offit | Kurman
In January 2026, HUD proposed revisions to its Fair Housing Act regulations that would remove references to unintentional discrimination, including disparate impact claims. These claims, which often arise from neutral tenant screening policies—particularly criminal background screening—have long been a focus of fair housing enforcement.
This session will explore the potential implications of HUD’s pending decision and what it may mean for housing providers navigating an evolving enforcement landscape. The discussion will highlight criminal screening practices and compliance challenges in highly regulated jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., including conditional offers, lookback periods, and local requirements.
Join Gwen Roy-Harrison and William P. Cannon for a timely conversation on how HUD’s forthcoming decision, expected after the close of the public comment period on February 13, 2026, could shape fair housing policies and leasing practices nationwide—regardless of the ultimate outcome.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the evolving landscape of disparate impact claims, including potential shifts in how HUD and the courts approach these claims.
- Examine why criminal background screening continues to be a key focus in fair housing compliance, and how enforcement priorities and legal risk may vary across jurisdictions.
- Assess how changes to HUD guidance and enforcement frameworks may affect housing providers’ leasing and screening practices.
William “Billy” Cannon is the firm’s managing principal and heads the Office of Managing Principal. The Office of Managing Principal is responsible for the management of the firm’s Practice of Law Division, focusing on practice group management and performance, timekeeper performance and morale, cross-referrals, quality assurance/quality control, marketing, and organic growth.
Gwen Roy-Harrison is the Principal and Co-Chair of the DEI Committee at Offit | Kurman. Gwen’s practice focuses on representing multi-family housing providers, developers, and business owners of all sizes, including litigating residential and commercial landlord disputes. She spends much of her time in court prosecuting and defending cases on behalf of large property management companies, small to medium businesses, and individual owners.
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