Fair Housing Law

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions -- based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents of legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under the age of 18) and handicap (disability).

Consistent with Federal laws TCHAO treats all applicants and participants equally, providing the same quality of service, without discrimination against any of the above protected class groups. TCHAO complies fully with all federal, state and local nondiscrimination laws and with rules and regulations governing fair housing and equal opportunity in housing and employment, including:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
• Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (as amended by the Community Development Act of 1974 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988);
• Executive Order 11063;
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
• The Age Discrimination Act of 1975;
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (to the extent that it applies, otherwise Section 504 and the Fair Housing Amendments govern);
  
• Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA);
  
• Any applicable state laws or local ordinances and any legislation protecting individual rights of tenants, applicants or staff that may subsequently be enacted.

When more than one civil rights law applies to a situation, the laws will be read and applied together.

Under the Fair Housing Act, it is against the law to do any of the following based upon your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status or disability:

• Refuse to rent to you or sell you housing;
• Tell you housing is unavailable when in fact it is available;
• Show you apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods;
• Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling;
• Provide different housing services or facilities;
• Advertise housing to preferred groups of people only;
• Refuse to provide you with information regarding mortgage loans, deny you a mortgage loan or impose different terms or conditions on a mortgage loan;
• Deny you property insurance;
• Conduct property appraisals in a discriminatory manner;
• Refuse to make reasonable accommodations for person with a disability, if the accommodation may be necessary to afford such person a reasonable and equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling;
• Fail to design and construct housing in an accessible manner;
  
• Harass, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising or assisting someone else with his/her fair housing rights.