April 22, 2021
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate against those seeking housing, whether that is purchase or rental. It is also against the law to discriminate at any stage in the housing process including at the lending stage. We report on Fair Housing Act cases because they affect all who seek housing.
Whether you want to rent or buy, read to purchase or still looking, discrimination hurts everyone at all stages of the house-hunting process.
Among the latest Fair Housing cases in 2021, a new development as the Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced charges in a housing discrimination case in Texas.
A press release issued this week on the HUD official site announces that HUD is charging an owner of a six-bedroom rental home in Frisco, Texas with violations of the Fair Housing Act.
The complaint? The landlord allegedly refused to rent to a woman and her ten children. According to HUD, the owner “stated that he could not rent the home to a family with eleven people, even though the mother, a HUD Housing Choice Voucher recipient, was qualified to rent the home”
Fair Housing Act laws make it a crime to refuse to rent to a family because of children under the age of 18. It is also a crime to “make statements that discriminate against families with children” according to the HUD official site. It is illegal to make statements or to include language in advertisements announcing a renter preference.
“Large families have a hard enough time finding suitable housing that meets their needs without also having to face unlawful discrimination,” said Jeanine Worden, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in the press release. Worden adds “HUD will continue working to ensure that housing providers comply with the nation’s housing laws.”
Sometimes the victims of the discrimination are the only ones with the power to stop it from happening again bu filing a complaint. This particular case only came to HUD’s attention because the victim notified the agency via a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission.
According to HUD this Fair Housing case is due to go before a United States Administrative Law Judge (unless any party elects for the case to be heard in federal court).
Have you experienced discrimination in the housing process? Rental or purchase? File a complaint with the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Relay).
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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