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 outcome of a civil liberties campaign against housing discrimination in the United States. It was authorized, at the prompting of President Lyndon B. Johnson, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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

HUD analyzes grievances of housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, nationwide origin, sex, impairment, or familial status. At no expense to you, HUD will explore the complaint and try to fix the matter with both celebrations. The procedure to submit a complaint is covered 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 company Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI), which assists individuals in Kansas with a variety of consumer problems.

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

This video speak about discrimination in Idaho, however it likewise applies to Kansas and other states as well. If you feel you have actually been a victim of housing discrimination since of LGBTQ status, you can get support 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 some cases, the Act excuses owner-occupied structures with no more than 4 units, single-family housing offered or leased without a broker, and housing operated by companies and personal 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 upon race, color, nationwide origin, faith, sex, familial status or handicap:

- Refuse to rent or sell housing
- Refuse to deal for housing.
- Make housing unavailable
- Deny a residence
- Set different terms, conditions or advantages for sale or leasing of a home
- Provide various housing services or centers
- Falsely deny that housing is open for examination, sale, or rental
- For profit, encourage owners to offer or lease (blockbusting) or
- Deny anybody access to or subscription in a center or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing.

In Mortgage Lending: Nobody might take any of the following actions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap (disability):

- Refuse to make a mortgage loan
- Refuse to give info about loans
- Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as various rates of interest, points, or fees
- Discriminate in evaluating residential or commercial property
- Refuse to purchase a loan or
- Set different terms or conditions for acquiring a loan.

In Addition: It is illegal for anyone to:

- Threaten, push, bully or hinder anyone applying a reasonable housing right or assisting others who exercise that right
- Advertise or make any declaration that shows a cap or preference based upon race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex, familial status, or handicap. This bar versus discriminatory marketing uses to single-family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.

Additional Protection if You Have an Impairment

If you or somebody connected with you:

- Have a physical or psychological special needs (including hearing, movement and visual impairments, persistent alcoholism, persistent psychological health problem, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex and psychological retardation) that considerably restricts several major life activities
- Have a record of such a disability or
- Are regarded as having such an impairment

Your landlord may not:

- Refuse to let you make sensible changes to your house or common use areas, at your cost, if needed for the disabled person to utilize the housing. (Where rational, the property owner may allow changes only if you consent to restore the residential or commercial property to its initial condition when you move.).
- Refuse to make reasonable variations in guidelines, policies, practices or services if required for the handicapped individual to utilize the housing.

Example: A building with a 'no family pets' policy must enable a visually impaired tenant to keep a guide canine.

Example: Let's say an apartment building offers tenants ample, unassigned parking. They should honor a bid from a mobility-impaired tenant for a reserved area near her apartment or condo if it is needed to guarantee that she can have access to her home.

However, housing need not be made uninhabited to an individual who is a direct risk to the health or security of others or who now utilizes controlled substances.

Requirements for New Buildings

In structures that were prepared for first use after March 13, 1991, and have an elevator and 4 or more systems:

- Public and common areas should come in handy to individuals with disabilities.
- Doors and hallways must be large enough for wheelchairs.
- All units must have: - An available route into and through the system.
- Handy light switches, electric outlets, thermostats and other ecological controls.
- Reinforced bathroom walls to allow later fitting of grab bars and.
- Bathroom and kitchens that can be utilized by people in wheelchairs.

If a structure with 4 or more units has no elevator and were ready for very first use after March 13, 1991, these requirements use to ground floor units.

These must-haves for new buildings do not replace anymore strict requirements in State or regional law.

Housing Opportunities for Families

Unless a building or neighborhood makes the grade as housing for older individuals, it may not discriminate based on familial status. That is, it may not victimize households in which several kids under 18 cope with:

- A moms and dad.
- An individual who has legal custody of the kid or children or.
- The designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission.

Familial status protection likewise applies to pregnant females and anyone securing legal custody of a kid under 18.

Exemption: Housing for older individuals is exempt from the ban against familial status discrimination if:

- The HUD Secretary has decided that it is specially created for and occupied by elderly persons under a Federal, State or city government program or.
- It is occupied solely by persons who are 62 or older or.
- It houses a minimum of someone who is 55 or older in a minimum of 80 percent of the occupied systems. It should also adhere to a policy that demonstrates an intent to house individuals who are 55 or older.

A shift duration permits locals on or before September 13, 1988, to continue residing in the housing, regardless of their age, without interfering with the exemption.

If you believe your rights have been breached ... The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a Kansas or local fair housing company is ready to help you submit a grievance, or you can get 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 complaint.

What to Tell HUD

- Your name and address.
- The name and address of the individual your problem protests (the respondent).
- The address or other description of the housing included.
- A short description of the alleged offense (the event that triggered you to believe your rights were violated).
- The date of the supposed infraction

Where to Write or Call:

Send a letter to the fair housing office closest you, or if you want, you might call that workplace directly.

Great Plains Office-- Fair Housing Hub

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!.?.! Have a look at our pages on Resolving legal

barriers to employment and housing and Facts about record expungement in Kansas. Read about Tenant issues and rights for Kansas occupants Plain text -No HTML tags enabled.- Lines and paragraphs break immediately.- Web page addresses and email addresses become links instantly.