Federal, state and local fair housing laws protect both renters and homebuyers from discrimination based on any of the following: race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, familial status (children), marital status, disability, ancestry, age, source of income or other arbitrary basis. Nearly all rental and ownership housing is covered by fair housing laws.
Those who are looking for an apartment to rent and in-place renters who believe that the policies or actions of owners or managers are discriminatory have a number of remedies. Those who are looking for a home to purchase and for a loan to finance that purchase are also protected against discrimination in home sales and home lending by fair housing laws.
Contact the Housing Rights Center if you believe you have been the victim of housing discrimination or if you want more information about fair housing. Information about fair housing is also provided on the website of the Los Angeles Housing Department at http://www.lacity.org/lahd/.
Housing Rights Center
Hotline (toll-free): 1-800-477-5977
Internet: http://www.hrc-la.org
A list of federal fair housing legislation is available on the HUD website at http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/index.cfm
California’s fair housing laws can be found on the site of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing at http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/default.asp
