The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Liberty Act of 1968, was meant to protect the buyer/renter of a dwelling from seller/landlord discrimination. The law was the outcome of a civil rights project against housing discrimination in the United States. It was approved, at the advising of President Lyndon B. Johnson, just 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 takes a look at problems of housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, nationwide origin, sex, special needs, or familial status. At no cost to you, HUD will check out the problem and try to fix the matter with both celebrations. The procedure to submit a complaint is covered below.
NOTE: If you want to find out more about your rights as a tenant in Kansas, read this Kansas Tenant Handbook. It was originally published by the Kansas agency Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which assists people in Kansas with a range of consumer problems.
Here is a video to show how the Fair Housing Act safeguards you from discrimination on the basis of LGBTQ status.
This video speak about discrimination in Idaho, but it also applies to Kansas and other states too. If you feel you have actually been a victim of housing discrimination due to the fact that of LGBTQ status, you can get assistance from KLS online or call the application line at 316-267-3975. Or you can discover how to file a problem straight with HUD by going here.
What Housing Is Covered?
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing In some cases, the Act excuses owner-occupied structures without any more than four systems, single-family housing sold or leased without a broker, and housing operated by companies and personal clubs that restrict occupancy to members.
What Is Prohibited?
In the Sale and Rental of Housing: No one might take any of the following actions based upon race, color, nationwide origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status or handicap:
- Refuse to rent or offer housing
- Refuse to anticipate housing.
- Make housing not available
- Deny a dwelling
- Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or leasing of a house
- Provide various housing services or centers
- Falsely deny that housing is open for evaluation, sale, or leasing
- For revenue, persuade owners to offer or lease (blockbusting) or
- Deny anyone access to or subscription in a center or service (such as a several listing service) associated to the sale or leasing of housing.
In Mortgage Lending: No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, nationwide origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap (disability):
- Refuse to make a mortgage loan
- Refuse to offer information about loans
- Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different rates of interest, points, or costs
- Discriminate in evaluating residential or commercial property
- Refuse to purchase a loan or
- Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.
In Addition: It is prohibited for anyone to:
- Threaten, push, bully or interfere with anyone using a reasonable housing right or helping others who exercise that right
- Advertise or make any declaration that suggests a cap or preference based upon race, color, nationwide origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar versus prejudiced advertising applies to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.
Additional Protection if You Have a Special needs
If you or somebody linked with you:
- Have a physical or psychological disability (including hearing, movement and visual problems, persistent alcoholism, chronic psychological disease, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and psychological retardation) that considerably limits several major life activities
- Have a record of such an impairment or
- Are related to as having such an impairment
Your property owner might not:
- Refuse to let you make sensible changes to your home or typical usage locations, at your expense, if needed for the disabled individual to utilize the housing. (Where logical, the proprietor might permit modifications only if you accept bring back the residential or commercial property to its original condition when you move.).
- Refuse to make reasonable variations in guidelines, policies, practices or services if needed for the disabled individual to use the housing.
Example: A structure with a 'no pets' policy must permit a visually impaired renter to keep a guide pet dog.
Example: Let's say a home complex offers occupants sufficient, unassigned parking. They must honor a bid from a mobility-impaired renter for a reserved space near her apartment or condo if it is required to ensure that she can have access to her house.
However, housing need not be made uninhabited to an individual who is a direct hazard to the health or security of others or who now utilizes controlled substances.
Requirements for New Buildings
In structures that were prepared for first usage after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and four or more units:
- Public and common locations need to be handy to persons with impairments.
- Doors and hallways must be large enough for wheelchairs.
- All units need to have: - An available path into and through the system.
- Handy light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental protections.
- Reinforced bathroom walls to enable later fitting of grab bars and.
- Bathroom and kitchens that can be utilized by individuals in wheelchairs.
If a building with four or more units has no elevator and were ready for very first use after March 13, 1991, these requirements use to ground floor units.
These must-haves for new structures do not change any more strict standards in State or local law.
Housing Opportunities for Families
Unless a structure or neighborhood makes the grade as housing for older persons, it might not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it might not victimize households in which several children under 18 deal with:
- A moms and dad.
- A person who has legal custody of the kid or kids or.
- The designee of the moms and dad or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written consent.
Familial status defense also applies to pregnant women and anybody protecting legal custody of a child under 18.
Exemption: Housing for older persons is exempt from the restriction against familial status discrimination if:
- The HUD Secretary has decided that it is specifically designed for and occupied by seniors under a Federal, State or city government program or.
- It is occupied exclusively by persons who are 62 or older or.
- It houses a minimum of a single person who is 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied systems. It must also comply with a policy that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.
A shift period permits residents on or before September 13, 1988, to continue residing in the housing, regardless of their age, without hindering the exemption.
If you believe your rights have actually been broken ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or local reasonable housing company is all set to assist you submit a complaint, or you can look for legal support from KLS online or call the application line at 1-800-723-6953. Go online to HUD to learn how to file a complaint.
What to Tell HUD
- Your name and address.
- The name and address of the individual your grievance is versus (the respondent).
- The address or other description of the housing included.
- A short description of the alleged violation (the occasion that caused you to think your rights were violated).
- The date of the alleged offense
Where to Write or Call:
Send a letter to the fair housing office nearest you, or if you wish, you may call that workplace straight.
Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Gateway Tower II, 400 State Avenue, Room 200, fourth 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!.?.! Have a look at our pages on Resolving legal
barriers to employment and housing and Facts about record expungement in Kansas. Read about Tenant concerns and rights for Kansas renters Plain text -No HTML tags allowed.- Lines and paragraphs break instantly.- Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
