The Fair Housing Center (TFHC) is pleased to welcome Annie Schira as our new Director of Investigations, a newly created leadership position that will strengthen our ability to identify, investigate, and challenge housing discrimination throughout Northwest Ohio.
Annie joined TFHC on October 28, bringing more than a decade of experience working with fair housing organizations, including more than seven years managing investigations and federally funded fair housing projects. Most recently, she served at the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, where she oversaw fair housing investigations.
The creation of this position reflects an important step in TFHC’s strategic plan to strengthen our organizational structure and expand our capacity to serve the community. Investigations have always been at the heart of our work, but the ways housing discrimination occurs, and the tools needed to uncover it, continue to evolve.
While discrimination can still occur in familiar ways, it is increasingly hidden behind online applications, automated tenant screening, artificial intelligence, and other technologies. Identifying these practices requires specialized expertise, strong investigative systems, and the ability to recognize patterns of discrimination across the housing market.
As Director of Investigations, Annie will oversee TFHC’s investigative work, including fair housing intake, testing, case management, and investigative staff. She will also work closely with our legal team to pursue enforcement actions and help identify opportunities for broader investigations into discriminatory practices.
Annie brings considerable experience to this work. Throughout her career, she has coordinated and evaluated more than 1,000 fair housing test parts, developed investigative protocols, and helped resolve hundreds of fair housing allegations through settlements, administrative complaints, and litigation. Her expertise extends beyond rental housing to mortgage lending, real estate sales, property insurance, and appraisals.
By establishing dedicated leadership for investigations, TFHC can strengthen this essential part of our mission while allowing our attorneys to devote more time to legal advocacy, enforcement, and addressing emerging housing challenges in our community.
We are excited to welcome Annie’s experience, leadership, and perspective to our team as we continue working toward a future where everyone has equal access to housing opportunities.
