Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act of 1968, also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was passed by Congress to provide a comprehensive solution to the problem of unlawful discrimination in housing based on race, color, sex, national origin, or religion.

History of Fair Housing
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_eq...

Fair Housing--It's Your Right
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_eq...

Authority:

US Federal

Citation:

42 U.S.C. §§ 3601—3619 (2014).

Online text of the the law:

http://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title42/chapter45/subchapter1&edition=prel…

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title42/html/USCODE-2011-title42-chap45…

Resources

Resource Guide: Fair Housing

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This chapter of the Chicago Renters' Resource Guide provides an overview housing discrimination. It is illegal to discriminate in any real estate transaction including rental, sale, terms and conditions of the rental or sale, advertising and lending. There are four major agencies in Chicago that handle housing discrimination complaints: Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR), Cook Count Commission on Human Rights (CCCHR), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).

Housing Discrimination at the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

portal.hud.gov

This is the Housing Discrimination web page at the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website. Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your civil rights have been violated, you can file your fair housing complaint online.

Fair Housing Training

LCBH in conjunction with the Fair Housing Education Consortium (FHEC) provide trainings that cover major fair housing issues and are designed to educate stakeholders and the general public about fair housing law under federal law as well as the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Audience: Renters, landlords, community based organizations, housing advocates, tenant counselors, social service providers, and attorneys

To schedule a Fair Housing Training for your organization or to request more information contact: fairhousing@lcbh.org.

LCBH and the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) have created a Fair Housing webinar series funded as a partnership project by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The webinars are available as online videos that can be accessed at any time on the website of Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO). The webinars will educate the public on their fair housing rights and provide information for housing providers on their responsibilities under fair housing law.

Fair Housing Videos for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

www.nationalfairhousing.org

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is pleased to announce the creation of 12 videos in American Sign Language (ASL) with English captioning. These videos provide critical legal and practical information in a format accessible to persons who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing. These videos feature Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing Actors who provide important information related to fair housing and fair lending rights under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Fair Housing Legal Support Center and Clinic at John Marshall Law School

jmls.edu

The primary goal of John Marshall’s Fair Housing Legal Support Center is to educate the public about fair housing law and to provide legal assistance to those private or public organizations that seek to eliminate discriminatory housing practices. John Marshall's Fair Housing Legal Clinic was established in 1993 by co-founding Professors F. Wills Caruso and Michael P. Seng, and is one of the few law school clinics in the U.S. devoted exclusively to fair housing training and enforcement.

Illinois Housing Law Overview

www.illinoislegalaid.org

This overview provides a fairly comprehensive listing and summary of housing law that define the rights and responsibilities of renters.

Disparate Impact

www.nationalfairhousing.org

Disparate Impact is a legal doctrine under the Fair Housing Act which means that a policy or practice may be considered discriminatory if it has a disproportionate "adverse impact" against any group based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

Why Does It Matter?

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How can we tell him that the color of his skin is keeping his family from the home of its dreams?

Housing discrimination isn’t just unfair – it’s against the law. If you feel that you've been denied the sale, rental or financing of a home because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability, report it to HUD or your local fair housing center.

Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It.

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Is religious discrimination keeping you out of the home of your dreams?

Housing discrimination based on any form of religion isn’t just unfair – it’s against the law. If you feel that you've been denied the sale, rental or financing of a home because of religion, race, color, national origin, sex, familial status or disability, report it to HUD or your local fair housing center.

Here are some possible signs of housing discrimination

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I found the perfect apartment near a park and public transportation. I asked for a reasonable accommodation for my service dog, but the landlord told me “no pets –try someplace else.” SoI called HUD and found out it’s illegal for a housing provider to prohibit service animals. I filed a complaint, and now my dog and I have a great place to live.

Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It.

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We found a three-bedroom apartment we loved in a great neighborhood with good schools and a beautiful park. But the landlord told us to live someplace else that would be better for our family. We filed a complaint with HUD, and now we have a wonderful place to live.

Here are some telltale signs of housing discrimination against families with children:

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HOUSING DISCRIMINATION. IT’S UNLAWFUL, UNFAIR AND UN-AMERICAN.

He fought overseas for his country and shouldn't have to fight housing discrimination at home.The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of disability, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or race. If you suspect housing discrimination, contact HUD or your local fair housing center.

Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It.

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The solution to housing discrimination starts with you. If you have been trying to buy or rent a house or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, contact HUD or your local fair housing center. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability.

Poster

Many variables can shape a child’s outcome in life–like the zip code where a child grows up. That’s because not all neighborhoods have the same opportunities and resources, such as quality schools, transportation, housing, healthcare, food and jobs. The good news is that there are many ways to improve our communities so that everyone has a fair chance to succeed, regardless of zip code. You can play a vital role in your local community.

Fair Housing Act

Resource Guide: Fair Housing

Housing Discrimination at the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Fair Housing Training

Fair Housing Webinar Series

Fair Housing Videos for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Fair Housing Legal Support Center and Clinic at John Marshall Law School

Illinois Housing Law Overview

Disparate Impact

Fair Housing Poster - Race

Fair Housing Poster - Religion

Fair Housing Poster - Disability

Fair Housing Poster - Family Status

Fair Housing Poster - Veteran

Fair Housing Poster - Community

Fair Housing Poster - A Zip Code Should Not Determine a Child's Future

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