Every April, HUD, local communities, fair housing advocates, and fair housing organizations across the country commemorate Fair Housing Month by hosting a variety of activities that enhance Americans’ awareness of their fair housing rights, highlight HUD’s fair housing enforcement efforts, and emphasize the importance of ending housing discrimination.
“A core belief of our values as Americans is the idea that every person deserves a fair chance to secure safe and stable housing,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “Your race, how you get around, the size of your family, whether you come from another country, if you are a man or a woman, or whatever your religious beliefs are should never hinder your housing goals. I am proud of the work our fair housing staff does every day in conjunction with our state and local partners to ensure that everyone’s fair housing rights are honored.”
Last year, HUD and its Fair Housing Assistance Program partner agencies received 8,293 complaints alleging discrimination based on one or more of the Fair Housing Act’s seven protected classes: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. During that period, the categories with the highest number of complaints were disability and race, respectively. HUD also focused on lending discrimination, as well as various forms of discrimination faced by women, families with children, and LGBT persons.
“Nearly 50 years after it was passed, the Fair Housing Act remains a powerful tool to ensure housing providers give every person an equal chance to find the home that is right for them, without prejudice or discrimination,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “As we move to implement the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule in partnership with local jurisdictions, we are pleased to be entering the next level of fair housing where every family, regardless of zip code, has access to the resources and opportunity they need to get ahead.”
Through a HUD-funded grant, SEOLS continues to provide Fair Housing Education and Outreach services in an effort to increase awareness and understanding about fair housing rights throughout southeast Ohio. Housing discrimination is a problem nationwide and is severely under-reported. HUD estimates that more than two million instances of housing discrimination occur each year, but less than 1% of cases are reported. Many people are unaware that they have been victims of housing discrimination. A recent study by HUD suggests that many renters and homebuyers do not fully understand which activities are illegal under the Fair Housing Act.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of: Race, Color, Nation Origin, Religion, Sex, Disability, and Familial Status (families with children). Ohio state law also prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of Ancestry and Military Status.
The law states that it is unlawful on the basis of any protected class (listed above) to do any of the following:
- Discriminate in the terms, conditions or privileges of selling or renting.
- Refuse to rent, sell, negotiate, finance or insure housing accommodations.
- Represent to any person that housing is unavailable for sale or rental when it is available.
- Refuse to lend money for the purchase, construction, repair, rehabilitation or maintenance of housing accommodations or residential property.
- Coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with the exercise or enjoyment of housing rights.
- Make any inquiry or elicit information or keep records concerning a person’s protected class.
- Print, publish or circulate any statement or advertisement which would indicate a preference or limitation.
If you think your rights to fair housing have been violated, help is available. Housing discrimination complaints can be filed by phone or in writing with HUD and/or the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. To reach the local HUD office in your area, call 1-800-669-9777, TDD 1-800-927-9275 or visit HUD.gov. To reach the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, call 1-888-278-7101 or visit crc.ohio.gov.
To talk to an attorney about your case, call SEOLS at 1-800-LAW-OHIO or visit www.seols.org
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