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FAIR HOUSING AND YOUR
RIGHTS
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 his
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.
Click here for a copy of the Fair Housing Guide (English)
Click here for a copy of the Fair Housing Guide (Spanish)
It is illegal to discriminate against any person on the basis of race,
color, ancestry, national origin, religion, familial status, sex, mental or
physical disability, age, lawful source of income, marital status, or sexual
orientation in the:
·
Rental, lease or 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.
For ADA Questions and Answers click here
Exempted Housing
A building that contains up to four units with the owner occupying one of
the units may be exempted from the fair housing law requirements. The familial
status provision does not applies 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.
![[logo: Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity]](hgv-icn-fheo.gif){kind=small}
