The Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Program at the Disability Law Center (DLC) is a program designed to enforce the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and educate people about fair housing. The program serves people in all state and federal protected classes throughout Utah (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et al. See also the Utah Fair Housing Act at Utah Code Ann. § 57-21-1 et al.). Under a Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP) grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Fair Housing Program at the DLC offers educational trainings, free legal clinics, and one-on-one self advocacy assistance to individuals throughout Utah. The DLC educates individuals about:
- their right to fair housing under the Fair Housing Act;
- what constitutes a reasonable accommodation and modification;
- the process for requesting an accommodation or modification to an individual’s home, or to a landlord’s facilities;
- how to recognize when potential housing discrimination has occurred; and
- what community and legal options are available to address discriminatory practices.
Fair Housing Program Services
- Self-advocacy trainings to all protected classes;
- Free legal clinics;
- One-on-one self advocacy assistance;
- Fair housing fact sheets, know-your-rights brochures, self-advocacy packets, and referral sheets with relevant community resources;
- Outreach and education for housing authorities, landlords, domestic violence shelters, and victim advocates;
- Short-term technical assistance, information, and referral on fair housing issues;
- Fair housing trainings for building professionals, emphasizing the architectural requirements of the FHA and building codes;
- Training for landlords, elected officials, policy-makers, and tenants on the potential implications of the “Good-Landlord” program;
- Public awareness of the FHA as well as fair housing related issues, through radio interviews, newspaper editorials, and local media coverage;
- Mediation and negotiation;
- Legal representation.
Fair Housing Program Goals
- Help all protected classes gain the skills necessary to become self-advocates.
- Ensure landlords and housing authorities understand and abide by the FHA.
- Protect against discriminatory practices.
- Ensure people with disabilities know how to request a reasonable accommodation or modification to their home, or landlord’s facilities.
- Help individuals recognize when housing discrimination has occurred.
- Help individuals who feel they have been discriminated against file a housing discrimination complaint Utah AntiDiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD).
- Promote equality in the sale, or rental, of housing units.
- Decrease barriers to housing, jobs, and transportation for people with disabilities.
- Conduct outreach to underserved and minority communities.