The FHA: Protecting Buyers and Renters from Housing Discrimination Since 1968
Imagine you have your sights on purchasing or renting property. Everything might seem perfect, until the subject of your child comes up. Maybe it’s the seller’s or landlord’s discovery that your unmarried partner lives with you and you plan to move in together. Other factors such as ethnicity, disability or religion can be just as easily substituted. In any event, not based on financial considerations, your offer to purchase or rent is subsequently denied.
That’s where the federal Fair Housing Act, also known as the FHA, comes in. In the United States, federal fair housing laws date back to the 1960s. This makes sense, as that was a time of great civil rights achievements, including those surrounding the desegregation of all-white and all-black neighborhoods.
The Fair Housing Act was written into law in 1968. Its main purpose was to protect those seeking to purchase or to rent a property from discrimination on a seller’s or landlord’s part. The Act’s goal was primarily to create a housing market where the only factor that could restrict a buyer or renter from obtaining the dwelling place of their choice was financial resources, as opposed to their personal background.
When the Fair Housing Act was originally created, it prohibited housing discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin. Six years later in 1974, sex also became a protected class. In 1988, disability and familial status, relating to the existence of children in a household, were also added. Many states’ fair housing laws mirror the federal Fair Housing Act exactly. Others, like California’s, are even more inclusive, naming sexual orientation as a protected class, as well.
If you believe you have experienced housing discrimination, a complaint needs to be filed with the Housing and Urban Development office (HUD). These complaints are investigated by the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO). If FHEO determines there is reasonable cause for the complaint, it will schedule a hearing before a HUD administrative law judge who will ultimately decide the case in question.
Serious about learning more about Colorado Springs Commercial Properties or other homes options here in Colorado? Our real estate agents are here to support you. In addition, please consider using our complimentary info and real estate tools if you are searching for Colorado Springs CO real estate.
