The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was meant to secure the buyer/renter of a home from seller/landlord discrimination. The law was the result of a civil liberties project versus housing discrimination in the United States. It was approved, at the advising of President Lyndon B. Johnson, only one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

. The Act is imposed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD analyzes problems of housing discrimination based upon race, color, faith, nationwide origin, sex, disability, or familial status. At no charge to you, HUD will explore the complaint and attempt to fix the matter with both parties. The procedure to file a complaint is covered listed below.

NOTE: If you want to discover more about your rights as a tenant in Kansas, read this Kansas Tenant Handbook. It was originally published by the Kansas agency Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which assists individuals in Kansas with a variety of customer issues.

Here is a video to demonstrate how the Fair Housing Act safeguards you from discrimination on the basis of LGBTQ status.

This video talks about discrimination in Idaho, however it likewise applies to Kansas and other states too. If you feel you have actually been a victim of housing discrimination because of LGBTQ status, you can apply for help from KLS online or call the application line at 316-267-3975. Or you can find out how to submit a grievance straight with HUD by going here.

What Housing Is Covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers most housing In many cases, the Act exempts owner-occupied structures with no more than four systems, single-family housing sold or leased without a broker, and housing operated by organizations and personal clubs that restrict tenancy to members.

What Is Prohibited?

In the Sale and Rental of Housing: No one may take any of the following actions based upon race, color, nationwide origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status or handicap:

- Refuse to lease or offer housing
- Refuse to deal for housing.
- Make housing unavailable
- Deny a house
- Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or leasing of a home
- Provide various housing services or centers
- Falsely reject that housing is open for assessment, sale, or rental
- For revenue, encourage owners to sell or rent (blockbusting) or
- Deny anybody access to or subscription in a facility or service (such as a several listing service) associated to the sale or rental of housing.

In Mortgage Lending: Nobody may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status or handicap (impairment):

- Refuse to make a mortgage loan
- Refuse to offer info about loans
- Impose various terms or conditions on a loan, such as various rate of interest, points, or fees
- Discriminate in evaluating residential or commercial property
- Refuse to buy a loan or
- Set various terms or conditions for acquiring a loan.

In Addition: It is illegal for anybody to:

- Threaten, push, bully or interfere with anybody using a reasonable housing right or helping others who work out that right
- Advertise or make any statement that indicates a cap or choice based on race, color, nationwide origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar versus discriminatory advertising uses to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.

Additional Protection if You Have an Impairment

If you or somebody linked with you:

- Have a physical or mental impairment (consisting of hearing, mobility and visual impairments, persistent alcohol addiction, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and mental retardation) that significantly limits one or more significant life activities
- Have a record of such a disability or
- Are considered having such an impairment

Your proprietor might not:

- Refuse to let you make sensible modifications to your house or common use areas, at your expenditure, if needed for the handicapped person to utilize the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord might permit changes just if you agree to restore the residential or commercial property to its initial condition when you move.).
- Refuse to make sensible variations in guidelines, policies, practices or services if needed for the handicapped person to utilize the housing.

Example: A structure with a 'no family pets' policy should enable an aesthetically impaired occupant to keep a guide pet.

Example: Let's say an apartment building provides tenants ample, unassigned parking. They need to honor a bid from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved area near her home if it is required to guarantee that she can have access to her apartment.

However, housing need not be made uninhabited to a person who is a direct danger to the health or safety of others or who now utilizes unlawful drugs.

Requirements for New Buildings

In structures that were all set for very first use after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and 4 or more systems:

- Public and common areas must be useful to individuals with disabilities.
- Doors and hallways should be broad enough for wheelchairs.
- All units need to have: - An available path into and through the system.
- Handy light switches, electric outlets, thermostats and other environmental protections.
- Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later fitting of grab bars and.
- Bathroom and kitchens that can be utilized by people in wheelchairs.

If a building with four or more systems has no elevator and were ready for very first use after March 13, 1991, these requirements apply to ground flooring units.

These must-haves for new buildings do not replace any more strict standards in State or regional law.

Housing Opportunities for Families

Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older individuals, it might not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it might not victimize households in which one or more children under 18 cope with:

- A moms and dad.
- An individual who has legal custody of the child or kids or.
- The designee of the moms and dad or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written approval.

Familial status security also uses to pregnant females and anyone protecting legal custody of a kid under 18.

Exemption: Housing for older individuals is exempt from the ban against familial status discrimination if:

- The HUD Secretary has actually decided that it is specifically created for and inhabited by senior persons under a Federal, State or city government program or.
- It is occupied exclusively by persons who are 62 or older or.
- It houses at least a single person who is 55 or older in a minimum of 80 percent of the occupied systems. It must likewise stick to a policy that shows an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.

A transition duration allows residents on or before September 13, 1988, to continue living in the housing, regardless of their age, without disrupting the exemption.

If you believe your rights have actually been breached ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or regional reasonable housing firm is prepared to assist you submit a complaint, or you can make an application for legal assistance from KLS online or call the application line at 1-800-723-6953. Go online to HUD to discover how to submit a grievance.

What to Tell HUD

- Your name and address.
- The name and address of the person your complaint is versus (the respondent).
- The address or other description of the housing included.
- A short description of the alleged infraction (the event that caused you to believe your rights were breached).
- The date of the alleged violation

Where to Write or Call:

Send a letter to the fair housing workplace nearest you, or if you want, you may call that workplace directly.

Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

Gateway Tower II, 400 State Avenue, Room 200, fourth Floor,

Kansas City, KS 66101-2406

Telephone (913) 551-6958 or 1-800-743-5323

Fax (913) 551-6856

TTY (913) 551-6972

E-mail: Complaints_office_07@hud.gov!.?.! Take a look at our pages on Resolving legal

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