Housing Discrimination

The Fair Housing Act prohibits the denial of housing to a person based on the person's membership in one or more of the classes protected under the act. The protected classes are race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status and disability.

The disability provision is to permit people with disabilities to live where they wish, irrespective of the views, prejudices and desires or neighbors, government or the real estate industry.

UNDER THE ACT, DISABILITY MEANS WITH RESPECT TO A PERSON:

• A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.
• A record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment.

One may not be discriminated against in the following circumstances:

• The sale or rental of most housing;

• The terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental and the provision of services of facilities in connection with the sale or rental of most housing;

• The advertising of a sale or rental of housing;

• The representation of the availability of housing for rental or sale;

• The provision of reasonable modification to a dwelling for persons with a handicap at their expense when necessary for the full use and enjoyment of the dwelling;

• The provision of reasonable accommodation to the rules, policies, practices or services when necessary to provide people with a handicap the equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling;

• The financing or refinancing of housing;

• The provision of real estate brokerage services.