Fair Housing Act

What Is The Fair Housing Act?

Fair Housing Act is a law under the constitution that defends, protects, and shields individuals in need of anything related to a building from unnecessary discrimination in any form whatsoever.

Deeper Definition

The Fair Housing Act, 42 USC 3601 et seq., prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions and homeowners’ insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.

In cases involving discrimination in mortgage loans or home improvement loans, the department or individuals involved may file suit under the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.  The department brings cases where evidence of a pattern or practice of discrimination. A denial of rights to a group of persons raises an issue of public importance. Where force or threat of force is used to deny or interfere with fair housing rights, the Department of Justice may institute criminal proceedings. The Fair Housing Act also provides procedures for handling individual complaints of discrimination. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of an illegal housing practice may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] or file their lawsuit in federal or state court. The Department of Justice brings suits on behalf of individuals based on referrals from HUD.

Some individuals cannot go to the department themselves and may even see it as no big deal, probably because they don’t know about the law and the power it wills to protect their civil rights in the case of housing.

Fair Housing Act Example

Lee is Chinese, and he has lived most of his adult days in America. His landlord evicted him from the property because of the coronavirus outbreak without foreknowledge. He reported to appropriate channels, and the landlord was sued based on the Fair Housing Act.