Have you ever been searching for an apartment with your kids and due to working nights, you want a third floor apartment because the buildings have three floors but the leasing agent tells you that they only have first floor apartments available? Or due to not being able to communicate well because you have a strong accent the apartment manager told you there were no homes available? How about if you practice Islam and when you were wearing your hijab and they sent you to the scariest part of the apartment community? Are you pregnant and you want a one bedroom apartment but the staff at the apartment community tells you they only have two bedroom apartments? When you walk the community do you see that the Latinos are in one building, are the Whites in another building and the African American families are on another part of the community?
The United States Federal Government has a law that protects citizens in the United States, regardless of immigration status, of any 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 or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and disability. This law is called Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended. Each local and state government may have additional protections. In the state of Maryland “marital status” and “sexual orientation” are protected classes.
In some instances, owners are allowed, within the law, to discriminate against certain individuals. Owners of a single family home, that is their primary residence, may reject a tenant for rooms based on sex, marital status and/or sexual orientation. As well as an owner of a building of five or fewer rental units who occupies one of those units may also reject applicants in the three categories mention above. Additionally, religious organizations, private clubs, people convicted of manufacture and selling of illegal drugs, communities for people above the age of 55, and owners not renting to families larger than what the fire code dictates. They can discriminate as well as long as they do it to everyone, in a constant basis and do not violate their own by-laws.
Discrimination against you for seeking a home for sale, rental and financing to purchase a home is illegal. If found to have been discriminated, owners and the person commiting the discriminating offense can be sued and fined millions which may include jail sentence.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against there is help. Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc is the local non-profit organization that helps promotes justice in housing for all people in the State of Maryland, with the exception of Montgomery County, through fair housing and tenant-landlord programs and public information activities.
If you have any questions, concerns or file a complaint you may contact Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc by visiting their offices located in 2530 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Their phone number is (410) 243-6007 or (410) 243-4400. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.bni-maryland.org.
To learn more about Fair Housing, a federal program governed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Develpment and submit a complaint you can visit their website http://goo.gl/1BnbN2
The best way to avoid these types of situations is by buying your own home. If you would like to buy a home please give me a call for a free consultation or meet me in person at the Southeast CDC Home buying workshop in Spanish on Saturday January 17 from 9AM to 4PM.
Nathalia Cruz-Edmonds is a Realtor with PS International Team of Berkshire Hathaway Homesale Realty and she is also the owner of Clearview Real Estate Management LLC. To speak to her you can email her at nathaliaedmonds@gmail.com or call her at (410) 350-5848.
