The federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was planned to safeguard the buyer/renter of a residence from seller/landlord discrimination. The law was the result of a civil rights project versus housing discrimination in the United States. It was authorized, at the advising of President Lyndon B. Johnson, only one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

. The Act is imposed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD takes a look at complaints of housing discrimination based on race, color, faith, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status. At no expense to you, HUD will explore the complaint and attempt to solve the matter with both parties. The procedure to submit a problem is covered listed below.

NOTE: If you wish to find out more about your rights as a renter in Kansas, read this Kansas Tenant Handbook. It was initially released by the Kansas agency Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which assists individuals in Kansas with a variety of customer issues.

Here is a video to demonstrate how the Fair Housing Act protects you from discrimination on the basis of LGBTQ status.

This video discuss discrimination in Idaho, but it also uses to Kansas and other states also. If you feel you have been a victim of housing discrimination because of LGBTQ status, you can use for help from KLS online or call the application line at 316-267-3975. Or you can find out how to submit a grievance directly with HUD by going here.

What Housing Is Covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers most housing In many cases, the Act exempts owner-occupied structures without any more than four systems, single-family housing offered or leased without a broker, and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that restrict tenancy to members.

What Is Prohibited?

In the Sale and Rental of Housing: Nobody may take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, faith, sex, familial status or handicap:

- Refuse to lease or offer housing

• Refuse to plan on housing.
• Make housing not available
• Deny a home
• Set various terms, conditions or advantages for sale or leasing of a house
• Provide different housing services or facilities
• Falsely deny that housing is open for evaluation, sale, or rental
• For earnings, convince owners to offer or rent (blockbusting) or
• Deny anyone access to or membership in a center or service (such as a several listing service) associated to the sale or leasing of housing.
  
  In Mortgage Lending: Nobody might take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, faith, sex, familial status or handicap (disability):
  
  - Refuse to make a mortgage loan
• Refuse to give details about loans
• Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or costs
• Discriminate in assessing residential or commercial property
• Refuse to purchase a loan or
• Set various terms or conditions for buying a loan.
  
  In Addition: It is unlawful for anyone to:
  
  - Threaten, push, bully or interfere with anyone using a reasonable housing right or assisting others who exercise that right
• Advertise or make any statement that indicates a cap or preference based on race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar against discriminatory marketing applies to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.
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  Additional Protection if You Have a Disability
  
  If you or someone connected with you:
  
  - Have a physical or mental impairment (including hearing, movement and visual impairments, persistent alcohol addiction, persistent mental disorder, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and psychological retardation) that considerably restricts one or more major life activities
• Have a record of such an impairment or
• Are considered as having such an impairment
  
  Your property owner might not:
  
  - Refuse to let you make realistic modifications to your residence or typical use locations, at your cost, if needed for the handicapped person to use the housing. (Where logical, the property owner might permit modifications only if you concur to restore the residential or commercial property to its original condition when you move.).
• Refuse to make practical variations in rules, policies, practices or services if needed for the disabled individual to utilize the housing.
  
  Example: A building with a 'no pets' policy need to allow a visually impaired tenant to keep a guide pet.
  
  Example: Let's say an apartment building provides renters adequate, unassigned parking. They need to honor a quote from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved area near her house if it is needed to ensure that she can have access to her home.
  
  However, housing need not be made vacant to an individual who is a direct danger to the health or safety of others or who now utilizes prohibited drugs.
  
  Requirements for New Buildings
  
  In buildings that were ready for first use after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and 4 or more units:
  
  - Public and typical areas should come in handy to with impairments.
• Doors and hallways need to be broad enough for wheelchairs.
• All systems need to have: - An accessible route into and through the unit. - Handy light switches, electric outlets, thermostats and other environmental protections.
• Reinforced restroom walls to permit later on fitting of grab bars and.
• Kitchens and restrooms that can be used by people in wheelchairs.
  
  If a building with 4 or more units has no elevator and were ready for very first usage after March 13, 1991, these standards apply to ground floor systems.
  
  These must-haves for brand-new structures do not change any more strict requirements in State or regional law.
  
  Housing Opportunities for Families
  
  Unless a structure or community qualifies as housing for older individuals, it might not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it might not discriminate against households in which several kids under 18 deal with:
  
  - A moms and dad.
• A person who has legal custody of the child or kids or.
• The designee of the moms and dad or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's composed permission.
  
  Familial status protection also applies to pregnant ladies and anyone protecting legal custody of a kid under 18.
  
  Exemption: Housing for older individuals is exempt from the restriction against familial status discrimination if:
  
  - The HUD Secretary has chosen that it is specifically designed for and occupied by elderly individuals under a Federal, State or city government program or.
• It is inhabited entirely by persons who are 62 or older or.
• It houses at least one person who is 55 or older in a minimum of 80 percent of the occupied units. It must likewise comply with a policy that shows an intent to house persons who are 55 or older.
  
  A shift period permits citizens on or before September 13, 1988, to continue residing in the housing, no matter their age, without interfering with the exemption.
  
  If you believe your rights have been violated ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or regional fair housing firm is ready to help you submit a grievance, or you can make an application for legal help from KLS online or call the application line at 1-800-723-6953. Browse the web to HUD to discover how to submit a grievance.
  
  What to Tell HUD
  
  - Your name and address.
• The name and address of the person your complaint is versus (the respondent).
• The address or other description of the housing involved.
• A brief description of the alleged offense (the occasion that triggered you to believe your rights were broken).
• The date of the alleged offense
  
  Where to Write or Call:
  
  Send a letter to the reasonable housing office nearby you, or if you want, you may call that workplace directly.
  
  Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub
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  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
  
  Gateway Tower II, 400 State Avenue, Room 200, 4th Floor,
  
  Kansas City, KS 66101-2406
  
  Telephone (913) 551-6958 or 1-800-743-5323
  
  Fax (913) 551-6856
  
  TTY (913) 551-6972
  
  E-mail: Complaints_office_07@hud.gov!.?.! Check out our pages on Resolving legal
  barriers to work and housing and Facts about record expungement in Kansas. Read about Tenant concerns and rights for Kansas renters Plain text -No HTML tags allowed.- Lines and paragraphs break automatically.- Web page addresses and e-mail addresses develop into links automatically.