Fair Housing and What it Means for You

The passing of the Fair Housing Act was in April of 1968!

Fair housing is an essential protection for homebuyers, individuals, and communities to ensure equitable opportunity for homeownership. The Act prohibits discrimination through the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, and gender.

The Act also provides protection throughout the loan process including prohibiting the following actions based on the above protected classes:

Refusal to make a mortgage loan or provide other financial assistance for a dwelling

Refusal to provide information regarding loans

Imposing different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees

Discriminating in appraising a dwelling

Conditioning the availability of a loan on a person’s response to harassment

Refusing to purchase a loan

Everyone deserves to feel safe and equally treated throughout the home-buying process. Discrimination of any kind interferes with the development of richly diverse communities and prevents vulnerable people from achieving their dreams of homeownership. Let’s all be good neighbors this month and be sure to spread awareness about this important Act!