Fair Housing
The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status (i.e., presence of children in the household). The Fair Housing Act does not specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited biases. However, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) person who believes they have experienced housing
discrimination may still be covered by the Fair Housing Act. In addition, housing providers receiving HUD funding have loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and lenders insured by FHA may be subject to HUD program regulations intended to ensure equal access for LGBTQ persons.
Email or contact HUD at 800-669-9777 and for the hearing impaired, please call TTY 800-927-9275.
If you feel you have experienced discrimination in the purchase or rental of your home, report it to these agencies:
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly Section 8) is a federally funded assistance program that offers subsidized housing options in the private market to low-income individuals, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The program funding is supplied by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Voucher holders generally pay 30 to 40 percent of their annual income for rent. Individuals are free to choose any housing that meets the requirements.
Local Housing Authorities are listed below.
Public housing is a program for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. If you live in a public housing apartment, you are still required to pay rent. However, the less money you earn, the lower your rent will be. Public housing is considered truly affordable housing, but due to the limited availability, it can take a significant amount of time for a vacancy to become available. Once you have established residency in public housing, you may retain your accommodation unless:
Rent payments are not made promptly.
Regulations and guidelines are violated; or
Your income increases sufficiently to support private market housing.