Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware, INC.

All about Fair Housing Laws

U.S. Fair Housing Act, Title VIII

Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing related activities.

These protections and additional protections apply to federally assisted housing projects.

Who is protected?

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:

  • Race
  • Color
  • National Origin
  • Religion
  • Sex
  • Familial Status
  • Disability

What Types of Housing are covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers most housing, in very limited circumstances the Act exempts owner occupied buildings with no more than 4 units, single family houses sold by or rented by the owner without use of an agent and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.

What is prohibited?

In the sale and rental housing

It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin status:

  • Refuse to rent or sell housing
  • Refusing to negotiate for housing
  • Otherwise making housing unavailable
  • Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling
  • Provide a person different services or facilities
  • Falsely denying that housing is available for inspection , sale or rental;
  • Make, print, or publish any notice; statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preferences, limitation or discrimination
  • Impose different sales or rental of a dwelling.
  • Use different qualifications criteria or applications for sale or rental standards or procedures. For example: income standards, applications requirement, application fees.
  • Evict a tenant or tenants or tenants guests
  • Harass a person
  • Fail or delay performance of maintenance or repairs
  • Limit privilege services or Facilities
  • Discourage the purchase or rental of a dwelling
  • Assign a person to a particular building or neighborhood or section of a building or neighborhood…
  • Refuse to provide or discriminate in the terms of conditions of homeowners insurance because of the protected classes

Deny access to or membership in any multi listing service or real estate brokers organization… For All about Fair Housing Laws go to Examples of Discrimination at FHEO.

In mortgage Lending

It is illegal discrimination to take any of the following actions base, the protected classes.

  • Refuse to make a mortgage loan or provide other financial assistance for a dwelling
  • Refuse to provide information regarding loans
  • Impose Different terms and conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees.
  • Discriminate in appraising dwelling
  • Condition the availability of a loan on a person’s response to harassment
  • Refuse to purchase a loan

For more information about discrimination in mortgage lending visit Fair Lending/ HUD.GOV

Harassment

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to harass persons who are protected the Fair Housing Law, Title VIII; among other things, this forbids sexual harassment. More info about sexual harassment is found @ FHEO website

Additional Fair Housing Rights

Person with Disabilities

Housing Providers must reasonable accommodations and allow reasonable modifications, that may be necessary to allow persons with disabilities to enjoy their housing.

For examples and more information please visit FHEO website.

Advertising and Marketing

The do’s and don’ts for marketing and advertising are available on the FHEO website.

Other Prohibitions under the Fair Housing Law

In addition it is illegal to discriminate:

  • Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a Fair Housing right or others who exercise the right.
  • Retaliate against a person who has filed a fair housing investigation;

Resources for additional information go to: Fair Housing and Related Laws @HUD.GOV; FHEO.gov

About Delaware’s Fair Housing Law

Federal Fair Housing laws cover seven protected classes. Delaware’s Fair Housing laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of six additional protected classes. That means Delaware’s Fair Housing laws cover a total of 13 protected classes.

Delaware’s protected classes:

Additional Protected Classes Covered Under State Law:

 The Delaware Fair Housing is congruent with Fair Housing Act, Title VIII in terms of what is prohibited under the Fair Housing Law in the areas of: Real Estate transactions, Disability and Public accommodations, and seeking rental housing. Please see the above information about the U.S. Fair Housing Law (1968,1988) listed above.

For more information go to: https://statehumanrelations.delaware.gov/fair-housing-information-center/

HOND’S Mission:

As a non-profit ,Fair Housing Advocacy Agency , we promote and advocate for all Delawareans when seeking housing, protected under the State and National Fair Housing Laws shall have equal access to housing whether they are renting, buying ,getting a mortgage, acquiring home owners insurance, or selling their homes.

We promotes diverse neighborhoods, which creates  economically strong, safe and happy Communities.

HOND, INC Fair Housing Law Education and Counseling Program

Housing Opportunities of Northern DE.INC (HOND) was created non-profit Fair Housing Advocacy Agency. (November, 1981). The agency was charged to advocate and educate City of Wilmington and New Castle County Families as they seek housing (rental, sales, acquiring a mortgage, acquiring home owners insurance, or selling their homes).

HOND provides the following program services:

  • Fair Housing Law education program includes: U.S. Fair Housing Act, Title VIII; (1968; 1988); Delaware Fair Housing Law (1992) (2018; 2019).
  1. HOND, INC provides Fair Housing Law education workshops/ seminars to educate Delawareans about the purpose of the Fair Housing Law and how to prevent housing discrimination and the ability to identify the act when occurs. To provide the resources and where to file a complaint when appropriate. HOND also encourages good Fair Housing practices to those organizations and persons who exemplify the working together creating opportunities for diverse, affordable and safe communities.
  2. Targeted Audience includes: Clients, Government employees, Real Estate agents, real estate attorneys, lending consultants, appraisers, Public Officials, housing counselors, and community organizations Statewide. HOND, INC partners with Delaware State Human Relations, US Department of HUD, National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), HomeFree USA, and local financial institutions to educate, monitor and prevent housing discrimination.
  3. HOND also provides an Annual Fair Housing Law Forum with such topics as: “Court Ordered process; Mediation and Fair Housing Law”; “Predatory Lending and Mortgage Discrimination”; “Housing Discrimination vs Tenant / Landlord Code (Rights and Responsibilities)”; “Fair Housing Law 101”.