Fair Housing for Families with Children

10 U ? ? ? ? ? T ? ? ? H ? ? ? ? ? ? D ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? T ? ? F ? ? ? H ? ? ? ? ? ? P ? ? ? ? ? ? What you should do if you believe you have he Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of experienced housing discrimina ? on North Carolina is available to provide informa ? on concerning a person's rights • Contact the Fair Housing Project and T under the federal Fair Housing Act If report the discrimina ? on to us F ? ? ? H ? ? ? ? ? ? F ? ? you believe you are a vic ? m of housing • Keep a journal of incidents of discrimina ? on , contact us for assistance at discrimina ? on F ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1 - 855 - 797 - 3247 A project sta? person will discuss the situa ? on with you and help you to • Write down what you experienced , decide what to do next Your response to us will including names , dates , addresses , C ? ? ? ? ? ? ? be kept con?den ? al rental terms , and any other details When necessary , our sta? can assist you in about your interac ? on ?ling a complaint with the US Department of • Keep any documents related to the Housing and Urban Development HUD , local discrimina ? on , including all emails human rela ? ons commissions , or in court and text communica ? ons • Following the incident , you have one year to ?le an administra ? ve Fair Housing Project complaint or two years to ?le a LEGAL AID OF NORTH CAROLINA lawsuit in court PO Box 26087 Raleigh , NC 27611 855 797 - FAIR 855 797 - 3247 wwwfairhousingncorg " The work that provided the basis for this publica ? on was supported by funding under a grant with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development The substance and ?ndings of the work are dedicated to the public The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpreta ? ons contained in this publica ? on Such interpreta ? ons do not necessarily re?ect the views of the Federal Government "PageO ? ? ? ? ? R ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? R ? ? ? ? H ? ? ? ? ? ? D ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? C ? ? ? ? ? V ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? FHA Rules that unreasonably restrict children or he federal Fair Housing Act " FHA " There are many forms of familial status limit the ability of children to use their prohibits discrimina ? on in housing discrimina ? on These are just a few examples housing or the common facili ? es at the T based on a person's race , color , of conduct that may violate the FHA property may violate the FHA In addi ? on , religion , na ? onal origin , sex , familial status , • Refusing to rent , sell , or nego ? ate with enforcing certain rules only against families and disability a family because the family has one or with children may also violate the FHA more children under 18 years of age F ? ? ? ? ? ? ? S ? ? ? ? ? D ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? • Telling a family no unit is available E ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Under the FHA , familial status discrimina ? on even though a unit is in fact available D ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? R ? ? ? ? occurs when a landlord , property manager , • Forcing families into housing units real estate agent , or property owner treats " Pool rules children under 18 must be that are larger than necessary someone di?erently because they have a accompanied by a parent or legal guardian " family with one or more individuals who are • Designa ? ng certain ?oors or buildings " Persons under 18 years of age must be in under 18 years of age for families with children , or their home or on their pa ? o by sunset " encouraging families with children to A " family " also includes people who are reside in par ? cular areas O ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? R ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? pregnant and people who are in the process • Charging addi ? onal rent , security of securing legal custody of a person under 18 Most ci ? es , towns , and villages have deposit , or fees because a household years of age , including a family that is in the occupancy codes that regulate the number of has children under 18 years of age process of adop ? ng a child , or foster parents people that can live in an apartment or house These codes are o ? en based on total square • Adver ? sing a preference for All families with children are protected by the footage of the unit and par ? cular rooms households without children or FHA against familial status discrimina ? on , otherwise discouraging such families including single - parent households and same - A landlord may limit the number of people sex couples with children allowed to live in a dwelling based on a E ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? reasonable occupancy code However , if a D ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? S ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? H ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? O ? ? ? ? P ? ? ? ? ? ? landlord uses an occupancy standard that is stricter than what is allowed by the local " We don't rent to families with children " Housing for older persons , such as housing for occupancy code , then it may cons ? tute " Each child must have their own bedroom " " 55 and older " or " 62 and older , " may have a discrimina ? on under the FHA limited exemp ? on from the FHA's prohibi ? on " This neighborhood has a lot of re ? rees You against familial status discrimina ? on Certain For more informa ? on , contact the might be happier in an area with more kids " HUD - administered housing may also restrict Fair Housing Project " Families with kids must rent ?rst ?oor units " occupancy to older persons Contact the Fair " Adults preferred " Housing Project for more informa ? on " Families with kids may only rent in buildings Housing for older persons must s ? ll comply near the playground " with the other provisions of the FHA Page