April is Fair Housing Month

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Fair Housing Month is a time to celebrate the progress we've made in opening the doors of housing opportunity to every citizen of this nation, regardless of race, gender, color, nationality, religion, family status, or disability. It is also a time to acknowledge the fair housing challenges that still remain, and collectively commit to finding viable solutions to those challenges.

One out of every five Americans has some type of physical disability, yet there continues to be an acute shortage of housing to meet their needs. National studies show that while progress has been made, racial discrimination in housing still exists at unacceptable levels in our country. One out of every four or five Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, or Native Americans still faces discrimination in renting, buying, or financing housing.

Low-income people, seniors and the disabled, seeking to purchase, refinance, or secure a reverse mortgage, are often targets for predatory lenders or loan fraud. Predatory lenders take advantage of borrowers with a variety of abusive practices such as charging excessive interest rates or loan fees.

Illegal housing discrimination can take many forms, some quite subtle: realtors showing apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods, advertising housing only to preferred groups of people, denials of property insurance, discriminatory property appraisals, or refusals to make reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

Whether people are trying to rent, buy, sell, or finance a home or apartment, as a tenant, homeowner, or landlord, they need to know the rights and protections provided by the Federal Fair Housing Act, and state and local fair housing laws. It's equally important for people to know where to file a complaint if they suspect they are a victim of discrimination or predatory lending.

Federal law makes it unlawful to discriminate in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or family status (families with children under the age of 18, or who are expecting a child). Broader protections are often provided under state, county, or city laws.

If you feel that your fair housing rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by calling HUD's national toll-free hotline (1-800-669-9777), HUD's Seattle office (toll-free 1-800-877-0246), or on our website.

Avoid being a victim of predatory lending. Contact HUD at 1-800-767-7468 (TDD 1-800-877-8339) for the free publication, Don't Be a Victim of Loan Fraud.

Another publication, Putting Your Home on the Loan Line is Risky Business, warns that regardless of the intended use of a home equity loan - bill consolidation, home repair, or some other purpose - it is important that consumers shop around.