The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was intended to protect the buyer/renter of a house from seller/landlord discrimination. The law was the result of a civil rights project versus housing discrimination in the United States. It was approved, at the urging of President Lyndon B. Johnson, only one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
. The Act is imposed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
HUD examines grievances of housing discrimination based upon race, color, faith, national origin, sex, impairment, or familial status. At no charge to you, HUD will check out the complaint and try to solve the matter with both parties. The process to file a problem is covered listed below.
NOTE: If you wish to learn more about your rights as a tenant in Kansas, read this Kansas Tenant Handbook. It was originally released by the Kansas agency Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which helps individuals in Kansas with a range of customer 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, however it likewise uses to Kansas and other states too. If you feel you have been a victim of housing discrimination since of LGBTQ status, you can apply for assistance from KLS online or call the application line at 316-267-3975. Or you can find out how to submit a problem straight with HUD by going here.
What Housing Is Covered?
The Fair Housing Act covers most housing In many cases, the Act excuses owner-occupied structures with no more than 4 units, single-family housing offered or leased without a broker, and housing run by companies and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
What Is Prohibited?
In the Sale and Rental of Housing: Nobody may take any of the following actions based upon race, color, nationwide origin, faith, sex, familial status or handicap:
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- Refuse to lease or offer housing
- Refuse to plan on housing.
- Make housing unavailable
- Deny a residence
- Set various terms, conditions or opportunities for sale or rental of a residence
- Provide various housing services or centers - Falsely deny that housing is open for assessment, sale, or rental
- For profit, persuade owners to offer or rent (blockbusting) or
- Deny anybody access to or membership in a center or service (such as a several listing service) related to the sale or leasing of housing.
In Mortgage Lending: No one may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status or handicap (impairment):
- Refuse to make a mortgage loan - Refuse to offer details about loans
- Impose various terms or conditions on a loan, such as various interest rates, points, or costs
- Discriminate in appraising residential or commercial property
- Refuse to buy a loan or
- Set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.
In Addition: It is illegal for anybody to:
- Threaten, coerce, bully or interfere with anybody using a reasonable housing right or assisting others who work out that right - Advertise or make any statement that suggests a cap or preference based on race, color, nationwide origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar versus prejudiced marketing 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 someone linked with you:
- Have a physical or psychological impairment (including hearing, mobility and visual disabilities, persistent alcoholism, persistent mental health problem, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and psychological retardation) that significantly limits one or more major life activities - Have a record of such a disability or
- Are concerned as having such a special needs
Your property manager may not:
- Refuse to let you make practical changes to your residence or common use areas, at your expenditure, if required for the handicapped individual to utilize the housing. (Where logical, the property manager may allow changes just if you consent to bring back the residential or commercial property to its initial condition when you move.). - Refuse to make reasonable variations in rules, policies, practices or services if required for the disabled individual to utilize the housing.
Example: A structure with a 'no family pets' policy should enable a visually impaired renter to keep a guide dog.
Example: Let's say a house complex offers tenants sufficient, unassigned parking. They should honor a quote from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved space near her apartment or condo if it is needed to assure that she can have access to her apartment.
However, housing need not be made vacant to an individual who is a direct risk to the health or safety of others or who now uses unlawful drugs.
Requirements for New Buildings
In structures that were all set for first usage after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and 4 or more systems:
- Public and common locations should come in handy to individuals with disabilities. - Doors and hallways should be large enough for wheelchairs.
- All systems should have: - An available path into and through the system.
- Handy light switches, electric outlets, thermostats and other environmental protections.
- Reinforced bathroom walls to permit later on fitting of grab bars and.
- Kitchens and restrooms that can be used by people in wheelchairs.
If a building with 4 or more systems has no elevator and were prepared for first usage after March 13, 1991, these requirements apply to ground floor systems.
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These must-haves for brand-new buildings do not change anymore stringent standards in State or local law.
Housing Opportunities for Families
Unless a structure or neighborhood makes the grade as housing for older individuals, it may not discriminate based upon familial status. That is, it may not victimize households in which several kids under 18 cope with:
- A parent. - A person who has legal custody of the kid or children or.
- The designee of the moms and dad or legal custodian, with the moms and dad or custodian's written approval.
Familial status security likewise applies to pregnant women and anybody securing legal custody of a child under 18.
Exemption: Housing for older persons is exempt from the restriction versus familial status discrimination if:
- The HUD Secretary has decided that it is specially created for and occupied by seniors under a Federal, State or city government program or. - It is inhabited exclusively by individuals who are 62 or older or.
- It houses a minimum of someone who is 55 or older in a minimum of 80 percent of the occupied systems. It needs to also comply with a policy that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.
A shift duration permits citizens on or before September 13, 1988, to continue residing in the housing, despite their age, without interfering with the exemption.
If you think your rights have been violated ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or local reasonable housing firm is prepared to assist you file a grievance, or you can look for legal help from KLS online or call the application line at 1-800-723-6953. Browse the web to HUD to find out how to file a grievance.
What to Tell HUD
- Your name and address. - The name and address of the person your problem is against (the participant).
- The address or other description of the housing involved.
- A short description of the alleged infraction (the event that triggered you to think your rights were breached).
- The date of the supposed offense
Where to Write or Call:
Send a letter to the fair housing workplace nearby you, or if you want, you may call that directly.
Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Gateway Tower II, 400 State Avenue, Room 200, 4th 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 enabled.- Lines and paragraphs break automatically.- Web page addresses and email addresses become links immediately.