Federal Fair Housing Act

Sec. 800. [42 U.S.C. 3601 note] Short Title This title may be cited as the "Fair Housing Act". Sec. 801. [42 U.S.C. 3601] Declaration of Policy It is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States. Sec. 802. [42 U.S.C. 3602] --

Idaho Legal Aid Housing Advice Line: call us at (208) 746-7541 or apply online at our website.  www.idaholegalaid.org Intermountain Fair Housing Council 208-383-0695 in Boise area or 1-800-717-0695 (toll free) Idaho Human Rights Commission 208-334-2873 in Boise area or 1-888-249-7025 (toll free) or 208-334-4751 (TDD/TTY)

What is a Reasonable Accommodation?

Commonly used terms and acronyms related to Fair Housing. Blockbusting – Encouraging an owner to rent or sell quickly and at a loss by appealing to the fear that prospective purchases or tenancies by members of a minority group will bring a loss of value. Channeling – Sending a person into a neighborhood, or not showing some neighborhoods, based on ethnic identity. (e.g.,In the Treasure Valley, Latinos are routinely shown realty listings in the Nampa/Caldwell area rather than Boise).

Best Practices To Avoid Fair Housing Act Violations

The following activities may indicate discrimination.  You can follow up by requesting a written explanation from the housing provider or by contacting an agency, such as the Intermountain Fair Housing Council, who can do testing to see if discrimination is occurring. 

The Fair Housing Act covers “dwellings”: any building, structure, or portion of a building that is occupied or intended to be occupied or where a person intends to return. The Act applies only if the owner has an interest in four or more homes/units (e.g., An apartment building with more than four units, a single home where the landlord owns three other homes, or a house with three bedrooms being rented to three different people and where the landlord maintains his own home).

The Fair Housing Act protects seven protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.

This section contains some sample letters to use in officially communicating with your landlord.  

Do you have questions about fair housing law that have not been addressed on this site?  If so, this section is provided as a resource for you with a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, the option to submit questions, a list of key definitions, and a compilation of fair housing resources.