What is Fair Housing?
Fair housing is the legal principle that affirms the right of individuals to chose to live wherever they wish. Every person has the right, subject to him or her financial means, to rent or purchase a dwelling or a lot regardless of the location of the property. If the act of an individual has the effect of denying a person the right to rent, lease or purchase housing, the individual may have committed an unlawful discrimination.
In Connecticut
It is illegal to discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national orgin, religion, familial status, sex, mental or physical disability, age, lawful source of income, marital status, or sexual orientation in the:
· Rental, lease of sale of a dwelling or a lot
· Provision of a mortgage or rehabilitation financing
· Provision of real estate brokerage services
· Advertisement for sale or rental of housing
· Appraisal of a property
· Terms and conditions of rental or sale of housing or
· Provision of property or hazard insurance
The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability. In addition to the federal protected classes, Connecticut’s Discriminatory Housing Practices Act also prohibits discrimination on the basis of ancestry, marital status, age, lawful source of income and sexual orientation.
Fair Housing and the Disabled
It is illegal to discriminate against a person in the rental, lease and sale of housing because the person has a mental or physical disability. The law requires that housing providers make reasonable accommodation in their rules, policies, practices and services so that a disabled person may have an equal opportunity to fully enjoy his/her place of residence. The law also requires that multifamily housing with four or more units built for occupancy after March 13, 1991 contain entrances, doors, access to common and public areas that are wide enough to accommodate the passage by a person in a wheelchair. It further requires that bathrooms and kitchens be wide enough for a person in a wheelchair to maneuver about the space. The developer must provide reinforced walls for the future installation of grab bars and must install thermostats, electrical outlets and light switches in accessible locations.
Exempted Housing
A building that contains up to four units with the owner occupying one of the units may be exempted form the fair housing law requirements. The familial status provision does not apply to: (1) housing designed for and occupied solely by people who are 62 years of age or older, and (2) buildings in which at least 80 percent of the units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older. There may be additional exemptions based on other factors.
Discrimination in housing can take a variety of forms. For example, a housing provider may tell you that an apartment is not available for rent when in fact it is, show you an apartment in a area other than the one you want, or tell you that the apartment you have selected is in an area that does not fit your lifestyle.
If you believe that you have been victimized by a discriminatory act, you may file a complaint without delay with the State Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), or you may call the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The locations of these offices are as follows:
State of Connecticut
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
21 Grand Street, Fourth Floor
Hartford, CT 06106
Tel. (800) 477-5737 ext. 3403 or (860) 541-3403
www.state.cu.us/chro
United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development
One Corporate Center, 19th Floor
Hartford, CT 06103
Tel. (860) 240-4800 ext. 3037
www.hud.gov
Flyers:
• Don't let a thief steal your home
• Don't be a victim of loan fraud
• Terms a borrower may need to know
Brochures:
• HUD Fair Housing Brochure- English
• HUD Fair Housing Brochure-Spanish
Miscellaneous:
• Connecticut Fair Housing Center
• HUD Complaint Instructions & Forms-English
• HUD Complaint Instructions & Forms-Spanish
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