Fair Housing Opportunity

Alachua County Fair Housing Ordinance

SourceURL:https://alachuacounty.us/news/Article/Pages/Fair-Housing-Month.aspx

The Human Rights Ordinance of Alachua County prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or familial status in the sale or rental of housing.

The following are unlawful and discriminatory housing practices because of a protected status:

Refusing to sell, rent or lease housing to an interested tenant or buyer.
Applying different sale, rental, or occupancy terms for different people.
Misrepresenting the availability of housing when housing is in fact available.
Providing inferior conditions, terms, facilities, or privileges in connection with housing.
Steering customers to/from a certain neighborhood, or refusing to serve certain customers by real estate professionals.
Redlining or limiting lending in a particular area because of the demographics of that area or imposing different terms or conditions on a loan.
Refusing to permit reasonable modifications when accommodations may be necessary for an individual with a disability to use and enjoy their dwelling.
Harassing tenants and homeowners in connection with housing accommodations.
Alachua County Fair Housing Ordinance Poster
Housing Amendment Human Rights Ord Adopted 042319

For more information, or to file a Fair Housing complaint, contact the Alachua County Equal Opportunity Office at 352-374-5275. TDD/TTY users, call 352-374-5284 or 711 FL Relay.

Fair Housing Act of 1968

SourceURL:https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview#_The_Fair_Housing

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACT

Housing discrimination is illegal in nearly all housing, including private housing, public housing, and housing that receives federal funding.

The Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities. Additional protections apply to federally-assisted housing.

Learn about the History of the Fair Housing Act, and read Examples of the many forms of housing discrimination.

Who Is Protected?

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:

Race
Color
National Origin
Religion
Sex
Familial Status
Disability

What Types of Housing Are Covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers most housing. In very limited circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.

What Is Prohibited?

In the Sale and Rental of Housing:

It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin:

Refuse to rent or sell housing
Refuse to negotiate for housing
Otherwise make housing unavailable
Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling
Provide a person different housing services or facilities
Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
Make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination
Impose different sales prices or rental charges for the sale or rental of a dwelling
Use different qualification criteria or applications, or sale or rental standards or procedures, such as income standards, application requirements, application fees, credit analyses, sale or rental approval procedures or other requirements
Evict a tenant or a tenants guest
Harass a person
Fail or delay performance of maintenance or repairs
Limit privileges, services or facilities of a dwelling
Discourage the purchase or rental of a dwelling
Assign a person to a particular building or neighborhood or section of a building or neighborhood
For profit, persuade, or try to persuade, homeowners to sell their homes by suggesting that people of a particular protected characteristic are about to move into the neighborhood (blockbusting)
Refuse to provide or discriminate in the terms or conditions of homeowners insurance because of the race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin of the owner and/or occupants of a dwelling
Deny access to or membership in any multiple listing service or real estate brokers organization

For more information and examples, visit Examples of Housing Discrimination.

In Mortgage Lending:

It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin:

Refuse to make a mortgage loan or provide other financial assistance for a dwelling
Refuse to provide information regarding loans
Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees
Discriminate in appraising a dwelling
Condition the availability of a loan on a persons response to harassment
Refuse to purchase a loan

For more information about discrimination in mortgage lending, visit Fair Lending.

Harassment:

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to harass persons because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. Among other things, this forbids sexual harassment. Learn more about sexual harassment here.

Other Prohibitions:

In addition, it is illegal discrimination to:

Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise the right
Retaliate against a person who has filed a fair housing complaint or assisted in a fair housing investigation

Advertising:

For more information about advertising and the Fair Housing Act, visit Advertising and Marketing.