February 15, 2013
A recent press release issued on the FHA/HUD official site announces a settlement in a housing discrimination case. According to HUDNo.13-026, “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that a homeowners association and property managers for an Edina, MN, condominium will pay more than $40,000 under a Consent Order resolving allegations that they refused to allow children under the age of 18 to live at the property in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”
The release adds, “According to a condominium owner’s complaint filed with HUD, the condominium association told him and his wife that they were violating the association’s document by allowing their minor children to live with them for more than 30 days in a calendar year. In addition, the condominium association levied fines against them and initiated a lawsuit in Minnesota state court in an effort to keep the couple’s children from living with them.”
Why report this on a site primarily dealing with FHA home loans and refinance loans? Because FHA loan applicants who want to purchase a condo unit should know that the practices described in the Fair Housing Act complaint against the Minnesota condo association are NOT legal.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HUD charged 7000 Sandell Condominium Association, Inc., its property management company, New Concepts Management Group, Inc., and the property’s off-site manager, Paul L. Bonzonie, with violating the Fair Housing Act for maintaining a policy that prohibited children from living in the building. Additionally, HUD charged that the condominium association failed to adhere to requirements necessary to establish an exemption under the Housing for Older Persons Act.”
“Condominium associations may not routinely deny families the right to have their children live with them,” stated John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to take action any time a family’s fair housing rights are violated just because they have children.”
When families search for condo housing to purchase with an FHA loan, they should know that, as stated in the HUD press release, “The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing providers, including condominium associations, from denying housing to families with children under the age of 18, unless the housing meets the federal standards to be housing for older persons.” (Emphasis ours.)
Fair housing is the right of every U.S. citizen–not just FHA loan applicants. If you feel your rights have been violated in the course of seeking a home with or without an FHA mortgage loan, contact the FHA immediately.
Do you have questions about FHA loans or FHA refinance loans? Ask us in the comments section.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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