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 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. The federal protected classes are race, color, sex, national origin, familial status, religion, and disability. Utah law also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income). 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 diversity 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.