Fair Housing Opens Doors...but only with your help.
Learn to recognize the signs of discrimination
in rental, sales, lending and
insurance.
How
Do You Recognize Discrimination?
If
You Have A Disability...
You
Are Entitled To Reasonable Accommodation
If
You Have Children...
If
You Are Sexually Harassed...
Sexual
Harassment Is A Crime
Harassment
Is A Crime!
Predatory Lending
Message From The Secretary
|
|
| Housing discrimination is
rarely blatant. It is usually cleverly disguised and, more often than
not, is done with a smile and a handshake. Your fair housing rights
are violated when you are prevented from doing the following because
of your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or
family status:
|
- Viewing or renting
an apartment
- Viewing or
purchasing a home
- Applying for or
securing a home loan
- Purchasing
homeowners or renters insurance
|
|
|
You have a right to the
housing of your choice.
It is illegal for anyone to deny you housing because you have a mental
or physical disability, or a record of having had a mental or physical
disability, or because people think you have a mental or physical
disability.
The Fair Housing Act protects people with mental retardation, mental
illness, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairments,
AIDS and other disabilities. People who use walkers, wheelchairs,
service dogs, or a personal care attendant are all protected against
housing discrimination. |
How
to recognize
housing discrimination
Landlords and real estate agents usually don't say, "You can't
live here because you have a handicap."
Some of the things they do say are:
- "You can't live
here because there's no one to take care of you."
- "I'd like to
rent to you, but my insurance will go up."
- "How can I be
sure that you can pay the rent."
- "We don't want
alcoholics or drug addicts here, even if they're in recovery
programs."
- "We have a
no-pets rule and that includes your guide dog."
- "I want to see
your medical records."
- "Your
wheelchair will damage the carpet and walls, and you won't be able
to get out if there's a fire."
|
|
|
Where
to get help
If you suspect you have experienced housing discrimination because of
a disability, contact:
- The U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (1-800-669-9777,
TDD: 1-800-927-9275)
- Your state, local,
or national protection and advocacy system
- Your state or local
civil/human rights agency
- Your private fair
housing agency (eg. The
Toledo Fair Housing Center)
- The Mental Health
Law Project (1-202-467-5730)
- The U.S. Department
of Justice (1-202-514-4713)
|
Landlords must let you make
physical changes to your apartment if you need them, but landlords
don't have to pay for them. For example, if you need grab bars in the
bathroom or wider doors, the landlord must give you permission to make
those changes.
Landlords must make reasonable exceptions to rules that interfere with
your ability to live comfortably in your home. For example, if you
need to make an extra key so a friend can come to help you, the
landlord has to bend the rule that only tenants may have keys. If you
can't hear a smoke alarm, the landlord must install visual alarms in
public areas and must let you put one in your apartment.
|
|
|
You have a
right to the housing of you choice.
Housing discrimination against families with children is no longer
legal in any state in the nation. This means that families cannot be
denied the housing of their choice simply because they have children,
adults serving as guardians for children, and those in the process of
obtaining legal custody of children (such as those who are adopting). |
How
to recognize
housing discrimination
Landlords and real estate agents usually don't say, "We don't
accept kids."
Suspect housing discrimination when these types of comments are made:
- "We take
younger children, but teenagers will disturb the other
tenants."
- "Sure, we rent
to families with kids, but we need an extra security
deposit."
- "Only 3 people
are allowed in a 2 bedroom apartment."
- "Children are
only allowed in the basement and first floor units."
- "Our 'kids'
building is full."
- "This complex
isn't suitable for children - no playground or open space."
- "Sorry, a
parent and child cannot share a bedroom."
|
Where
to get help
If you have children and suspect you have experienced housing
discrimination, contact:
- The U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (1-800-669-9777,
TDD: 1-800-927-9275)
- Your private fair
housing agency (eg. The
Toledo Fair Housing Center)
- Your state or local
civil/human rights agency
- The U.S. Department
of Justice (1-202-514-4713)
|
...it is legal to exclude
families with children from an apartment or house of their choice.
Housing complexes designed for older persons can exclude families if
they meet certain strict criteria:
- everyone in the building is over 62
years of age;
- or 80% of the units have at least
one occupant over age 55 and the building provides significant
facilities and services to meet the needs of older persons;
- or the building is part of a federal
or state program that provides housing for elderly people.
|
Federal law
allows owners renting a room or unit in a building with no more than
four units to exclude families with children if the owner lives in one
of the units. Some state/local fair housing laws, however, do not
provide this exemption.
|
|
|
It is a
violation of the Fair Housing Act for a landlord or his/her agents to
ask for or require sexual favors in exchange for the rental of an
apartment, lease renewal, repairs, or any other condition or privilege
of renting.
Sexual harassment can range from the landlord or agent
(superintendent, maintenance worker, rental manager, etc.) making
sexual comments to actually physically assaulting you.
If you have engaged in sexual activity to pay the rent or security
deposit or to get repairs made, and you refuse further demands for
sexual contact with the landlord, you may still be a victim of sexual
harassment.
The landlord cannot retaliate against you because you say
"no" or because you report him. He may try to evict you,
refuse to do repairs, raise your rent, or threaten you because you
refuse his sexual advances. These are violations of the law, and you
should report it immediately.
|
How
to recognize
sexual harassment
The Landlord may be direct and demand that you sleep with him to rent
the apartment or get repairs made. He may enter your apartment without
your permission and make sexually offensive comments to you or try to
touch you. You may hear lines like these:
- "Don't worry
about the security deposit - we'll make arrangements."
- "There's a long
waiting list for these apartments, but I can get you in if you're
nice to me."
- "I made special
arrangements to do these repairs for you, and I'm sure you know
how to thank me."
- "I helped you
get into this apartment. If you don't go out with me, I can get
your rent subsidy taken away."
- "If you let me
take pictures of you, you won't have to pay rent."
|
|
|
What
to do and
where to get help
You are probably not the only tenant experiencing this harassment.
There are things you can do.
- Write down what the
landlord or agent said or did to you, the date(s) it happened, and
the names of any witnesses.
- Report the
incident(s) to the owner. If the owner is the person sexually
harassing you, write him a letter demanding that he stop these
actions. Keep a copy of the letter.
|
Immediately
- Call the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (1-800-669-9777,
TDD: 1-800-927-9275)
- If the landlord/agent starts an
eviction action against you, contact HUD and ask for "prompt
judicial action" to stop the eviction.
- Call your local or state fair
housing agency
- Your private fair housing agency (eg.
The Toledo Fair
Housing Center)
- Contact the U.S. Department of
Justice (1-202-514-4713)
- Report these acts to the local
police
|
|
|
If you are
being threatened, coerced, harassed, or intimidated because of your
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial
status or because of the race of your relatives or visitors, call your
local F.B.I. office and police department. Also report the problem to
HUD and your state/local fair housing agency.
Harassment is a criminal violation of the Fair Housing Act. |
Fair
Housing Opens Doors
Fair Housing laws protect you - but only if you report unfair
treatment.
If you have already experienced housing discrimination, call and
report it today. The next time you face delays or denials when you are
trying to find housing,
Be Suspicious And Report The Problem. |
|
|
Predatory Lending is a practice
where Lenders and Brokers secure loans, which are unsuitable to the borrowers
particular financial situation. Violators can be large banks, mortgage companies,
small lending companies, finance companies, credit card companies and mortgage
brokers. Lenders target the elderly, African Americans, Hispanics, people with
equity in their homes and low and middle income households.
If it
sounds too good to be true – It usually is!
Click
here for more information
more info
more info
Predatory
Lending Remediation Program: Restoring the Dream
*
* A PDF viewer application such as Adobe Acrobat Reader is required
to open this file.
|
Together
We Can Open Doors
|
|
