Fair Housing - It's Your Right!

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, better known as the Fair Housing Act (FHA), made it unlawful to discriminate in any aspect relating to the sale, rental or financing of housing or in the provisions of brokerage services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental of a dwelling because of RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, DISABILITY, NATIONAL ORIGIN, FAMILIAL STATUS (WHERE THERE ARE CHILDREN UNDER 18 AND/OR A PREGNANT WOMAN.
The City of Cape Coral has a locally adopted Fair Housing Ordinance that was developed to ensure that the City affirmatively furthers fair housing within it's jurisdiction.
What is Housing Discrimination?
- A refusal to sell, rent, or show available housing
- Requiring different terms and conditions for identical dwellings, i.e. charging higher rent, security deposit for different tenants
- Being told that the dwelling isn’t right for you or your family
- Being told that housing isn’t available in an apartment with a “For Rent” sign
- Housing advertisements that say “no kids” or “adults only”
- A refusal to make a reasonable accommodation or allow a modification to make the dwelling accessible for a person with a disability
- Harassment or intimidation
- Offering non-standard and unfavorable terms in the purchase of a home or property insurance
- Terms of availability that change between a phone contact and an in-person visit
- Being steered to racially segregated neighborhoods during your home search
- Excessive or inappropriate questioning upon requesting information about a dwelling
What do I do if I suspect I have been discriminated against?
You can file an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or a substantially equivalent state or local agency. You may also file a lawsuit in court. Where you should file will depend on several things, including the type of discrimination and when the alleged discrimination occurred.
You can contact the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity about filing a complaint at (800) 669-9777. For the hearing impaired, call TTY (800) 927-9275. You can also visit HUD online.
HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity | HUD Online Fair Housing Complaint |
HUD Fair Lending Information | Fair Housing Resources for Realtors |
National Fair Housing Alliance |
