Fair Housing Notice

Fair Housing Notice Summary

This document provides an overview of fair housing laws and protections, emphasizing the right to choose housing free from unlawful discrimination. It outlines key aspects of fair housing practices and their impact on communities.

What Is Fair Housing?

• Definition: The right to choose housing without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, familial status, disability, marital status, age, or ancestry.
• Protection Scope: Covers rentals, sales, lending, and insurance transactions.

Ensures Access for Everyone

• Key Principle: Guarantees housing access regardless of personal characteristics.
• Impact: Promotes diversity and inclusivity in neighborhoods.

Encourages Welcoming Neighborhoods

• Community Benefits: Fosters vibrant, diverse communities with strong social connections.
• Economic Impact: Enhances community appeal and economic development.

Enhances Community Curb Appeal

• Quality of Life: Equal access to housing improves overall living conditions.
• Investment Incentive: Encourages residents to invest in their communities.

Who Is Protected by Fair Housing Laws?

• Protected Classes: Includes race, color, religion, national origin, gender, familial status, disability, marital status, age, and ancestry.
• Additional Protections: Pennsylvania Human Relations Act extends protections to include age and ancestry.

What Housing Is Covered?

• Covered Types: Apartments, single-family homes, condominiums, manufactured homes.
• Exemptions: Owner-occupied buildings with no more than two/four units, single-family housing sold/rented without a broker, and housing operated by private clubs.

Which Housing Providers Are Subject to Fair Housing Laws?

• Providers: Real estate operators, brokers, agents, builders, contractors, developers, owners of building lots, condominium associations, homeowners advertising/selling homes, financial institutions, rental managers, advertising media, and insurance companies.

What Is Prohibited?

• Prohibited Actions: Refusing to rent/sell housing, negotiating for housing, making housing unavailable, denying a dwelling, setting different terms/conditions, providing different services/facilities, falsely denying availability, persuading owners to sell/rent (blockbusting), and denying access to facilities/services.
• Mortgage Lending Prohibitions: Refusing to make a mortgage loan, providing information regarding loans, imposing different terms/conditions, discriminating in appraising property, refusing to purchase a loan, and setting different terms/conditions for purchasing a loan.

Fair Housing Protections for People with Disabilities

• Disability Definition: Physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
• Protections: Reasonable modifications to dwellings/common use areas, reasonable accommodations in rules/policies/practices/services.
• Examples: Allowing guide dogs for visually impaired tenants, reserving parking spaces for mobility-impaired tenants.
• Exceptions: Housing need not be available to individuals posing a direct threat to health/safety or using illegal drugs.

Fair Housing Laws

• Legal Framework: Federal, state, and local laws prohibit housing discrimination based on protected classes.
• Pennsylvania Specifics: Pennsylvania Human Relations Act extends protections to include age and ancestry.

This summary encapsulates the essential information provided in the Fair Housing Notice, ensuring residents understand their rights and the legal framework supporting fair housing practices.