The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was intended to protect the buyer/renter of a residence from seller/landlord discrimination. The law was the outcome of a civil liberties project against housing discrimination in the United States. It was approved, at the urging of President Lyndon B. Johnson, only one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
. The Act is implemented by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
HUD examines grievances of housing discrimination based upon race, color, faith, nationwide origin, sex, impairment, or familial status. At no expense to you, HUD will explore the problem and try to solve the matter with both parties. The procedure to submit a complaint is covered listed below.
NOTE: If you wish to find out more about your rights as a tenant in Kansas, read this Kansas Tenant Handbook. It was originally published by the Kansas firm Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which helps individuals in Kansas with a range of consumer problems.
Here is a video to reveal how the Fair Housing Act safeguards you from discrimination on the basis of LGBTQ status.
This video speak about discrimination in Idaho, however it likewise applies to Kansas and other states too. If you feel you have been a victim of housing discrimination since of LGBTQ status, you can obtain assistance from KLS online or call the application line at 316-267-3975. Or you can how to file a complaint directly with HUD by going here.
What Housing Is Covered?
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing Sometimes, the Act excuses owner-occupied structures with no more than four systems, single-family housing offered or leased without a broker, and housing operated by companies and private clubs that restrict occupancy to members.
What Is Prohibited?
In the Sale and Rental of Housing: Nobody may take any of the following actions based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap:
- Refuse to rent or offer housing
- Refuse to deal for housing.
- Make housing unavailable
- Deny a house
- Set various terms, conditions or opportunities for sale or leasing of a dwelling
- Provide various housing services or facilities
- Falsely deny that housing is open for assessment, sale, or rental
- For revenue, encourage owners to sell or lease (blockbusting) or
- Deny anybody access to or membership in a center or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or leasing of housing.
In Mortgage Lending: Nobody may take any of the following actions based on race, color, nationwide origin, faith, sex, familial status or handicap (special needs):
- Refuse to make a mortgage loan - Refuse to give info about loans
- Impose various terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or charges
- Discriminate in appraising residential or commercial property
- Refuse to purchase a loan or
- Set various terms or conditions for acquiring a loan.
In Addition: It is prohibited for anybody to:
- Threaten, persuade, bully or interfere with anybody using a fair housing right or assisting others who work out that right - Advertise or make any statement that shows a cap or choice based on race, color, nationwide origin, faith, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar versus inequitable advertising applies to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.
Additional Protection if You Have a Disability
If you or someone linked with you:
- Have a physical or psychological impairment (including hearing, mobility and visual disabilities, persistent alcoholism, persistent psychological health problem, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and mental retardation) that considerably restricts one or more major life activities - Have a record of such an impairment or
- Are concerned as having such a disability
Your proprietor might not:
- Refuse to let you make sensible changes to your home or typical usage locations, at your expenditure, if needed for the handicapped person to use the housing. (Where reasonable, the proprietor may permit modifications just if you agree to bring back the residential or commercial property to its initial condition when you move.). - Refuse to make reasonable variations in guidelines, policies, practices or services if required for the handicapped person to use the housing.
Example: A building with a 'no family pets' policy must enable a visually impaired renter to keep a guide pet dog.
Example: Let's say a home complex provides occupants ample, unassigned parking. They must honor a quote from a mobility-impaired occupant for a reserved area near her house if it is needed to guarantee that she can have access to her home.
However, housing need not be made vacant to a person who is a direct danger to the health or safety of others or who now utilizes unlawful drugs.
Requirements for New Buildings
In structures that were all set for first usage after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and 4 or more systems:
- Public and common areas should come in handy to individuals with impairments. - Doors and hallways need to be wide enough for wheelchairs.
- All units must have: - An available path into and through the system.
- Handy light switches, electric outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls.
- Reinforced restroom walls to enable later on fitting of grab bars and.
- Bathroom and kitchens that can be utilized by individuals in wheelchairs.
If a structure with 4 or more units has no elevator and were prepared for first use after March 13, 1991, these standards use to ground flooring units.
These must-haves for brand-new structures do not replace anymore stringent requirements in State or local law.
Housing Opportunities for Families
Unless a structure or neighborhood makes the grade as housing for older individuals, it might not discriminate based upon familial status. That is, it may not victimize households in which one or more children under 18 cope with:
- A parent. - A person who has legal custody of the kid or children or.
- The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written authorization.
Familial status security likewise uses to pregnant females and anyone protecting legal custody of a child under 18.
Exemption: Housing for older individuals is exempt from the restriction versus familial status discrimination if:
- The HUD Secretary has chosen that it is specifically created for and occupied by senior individuals under a Federal, State or city government program or. - It is inhabited solely by persons who are 62 or older or.
- It houses a minimum of one person who is 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied units. It needs to likewise comply with a policy that shows an intent to house individuals who are 55 or older.
A shift period permits homeowners on or before September 13, 1988, to continue residing in the housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.
If you believe your rights have been breached ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or regional fair housing agency is prepared to help you file a complaint, or you can get legal help from KLS online or call the application line at 1-800-723-6953. Go online to HUD to learn how to submit a complaint.
What to Tell HUD
- Your name and address. - The name and address of the individual your problem is against (the participant).
- The address or other description of the housing included.
- A short description of the alleged offense (the event that triggered you to believe your rights were breached).
- The date of the supposed infraction
Where to Write or Call:
Send a letter to the reasonable housing workplace closest you, or if you wish, you may call that office straight.
Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Gateway Tower II, 400 State Avenue, Room 200, 4th Floor,
Kansas City, KS 66101-2406
Telephone (913) 551-6958 or 1-800-743-5323
Fax (913) 551-6856
TTY (913) 551-6972
E-mail: Complaints_office_07@hud.gov!.?.! Take a look at our pages on Resolving legal
barriers to work and housing and Facts about record expungement in Kansas. Check out Tenant concerns and rights for Kansas occupants Plain text -No HTML tags allowed.- Lines and paragraphs break immediately.- Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links immediately.har.com