Fair Housing

Fair Housing

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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: 

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• Race 

• Color 

• Religion 

• Sex 

• Disability 

• National Origin 

• Familial Status (when there are children under the age of 18 and/or a pregnant women) 

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The Fair Housing Amendments of 1988 strengthened the administrative enforcement provisions of Title VIII and added prohibitions against housing discrimination based on disability and familial status. It also provided for the award of monetary damages where discriminatory housing practices are found. 

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency with primary responsibility for enforcing the Fair Housing Act. Since the passage of the FHA, there have been great improvements in providing equal housing opportunity. However, discrimination still exists, making the FHA an extremely important tool in fighting against housing discrimination. 

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It shall be the commitment of the Sarasota County Office of Financial Management, Program Management Division to ensure that fair and equal housing opportunities are granted to all persons, in all housing programs, services, opportunities, and development activities funded by Sarasota County regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, lawful source of income, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age, or mental or physical disability. Unless a building or community qualifies as housing for older persons.

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Exemption: Housing for older persons is exempt from the prohibition against familial status discrimination if:

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• The HUD Secretary has determined that it is specifically designed for and occupied by elderly persons under a Federal, State, or local government program or

• It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or older or

• It houses at least one person who is 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied units, and adheres to a policy that demonstrates an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.

A transition period permits residents on or before September 13, 1988 to continue living in the housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.

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File a Housing Discrimination Complaint

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Sarasota County will reasonably assist the complainant in submitting the complaint to the appropriate body. The individual(s) filing the complaint will then be advised of the option of filing directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Florida Commission on Human Relations, or to both agencies simultaneously. The Fair Housing Coordinator will keep a record of the progress on the number of complaints filed, actions taken, and the status of each complaint. 

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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): 

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Any person who feels that their housing rights have been violated may submit a complaint to HUD via phone, mail, or the Internet. HUD is ready to help with any problem of housing discrimination. You have one year after an alleged violation to file a complaint with HUD, but you should file it as soon as possible.  

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• Housing Discrimination Hotline: 1-800-669-9777 or Federal Relay Services at 1-800-877-8339 

• By Mail: 

Region IV 

Atlanta Regional Office of FHEO 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 
Five Points Plaza 
40 Marietta Street 16th Floor 
Atlanta, GA 30303 

• Report Housing Discrimination with FHEO online

• Housing Discrimination Complaint App: Download this free iTunes app for iPhone or iPad to read information about housing discrimination and to submit a housing discrimination claim for review by HUD. 

 

If you are disabled, HUD also provides: 

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• A TTY phone for the deaf/hard of hearing users 

• Interpreters 

• Tapes and braille materials

• Assistance in reading and completing forms

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 What to tell HUD:

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• Your name and address

• The name and address of the person(s) or organization your allegation is against

• The address or other identification of the housing or program involved

• A short description of the event(s) that cause you to believe your rights were violated

• The date(s) of the alleged violation

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Florida Commission on Human Relations:

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Florida Commission on Human Relations

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2009 Apalachee Parkway, Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 850-488-7082
Toll-Free: 800-342-8170
Fax: 850-488-5291