Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability is illegal by federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.

Are you a victim of housing discrimination? Fair housing is your right! If you have been denied your housing
rights, you may have experienced housing discrimination.

A complaint must be filed with HUD within one year of the date the discrimination occurred.

Your fair housing rights are protected under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act). If those rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with HUD.

• Filing a Fair Housing Complaint

• If you have an attorney, notify your attorney of the complaint.
• Collect and review the documents pertinent to the complaint and make a list of potential witnesses to the incident in question.
  • It is a good idea to keep records on all prospective, current, and past residents.  You should also have a written screening policy and documentation showing that policy is uniformly and consistently applied to each applicant.
• Weigh the merits of the complaint based on your or your attorney’s review of the facts and relevant law
• Ensure that you respond to the complaint, in writing, within the time period specified.
  • If you need additional time, contact U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to request more time to respond.
• Respond to conciliation offers in a timely manner:  You can choose to either accept the offer, make a counter-offer, or reject the offer.
• Keep in mind that the investigator is impartial and best results are achieved by being cooperative with the investigator.
• HUD may make a formal request for additional information – respond to such requests fully and in a timely manner.
  • Do not withhold information, as HUD has the authority to subpoena to obtain information, if needed
  • Provide the investigator with contact information for additional witnesses if you know of other persons with knowledge relevant to the complaint. 
• The case will be resolved in one of three ways:
  • Conciliation agreement.  Make sure you comply with the terms of the agreement.
  • If HUD finds "no reasonable cause," the complaint will be dismissed.
  • If HUD finds reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has taken place, HUD will issue a charge of discrimination and schedule a hearing before a HUD administrative law judge (ALJ).
    • Either party may elect to proceed in federal court.
• After the case is closed, you have the right to obtain a copy of HUD’s report, usually at your own expense.
• Know your rights during an investigation:  To have your designated legal representative present; to be provided a fair, unbiased, and timely investigation; to be kept informed; and to be offered a conciliatory process.

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.

HUD handles complaints in several categories:

Housing discrimination: Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.

Bad landlords in federal housing: Hundreds of landlords have been fined and/or debarred from doing business with the federal government as a result of failing to provide safe and decent housing for the poor, while enriching themselves on taxpayer-funded subsidies. Find out how to report a bad landlord.

Manufactured housing: If you have a problem with your manufactured home, learn how to solve the problem.

Deceptive contractors: HUD insures loans to help people renovate and repair their homes through a program called Title 1. If you have problems with a contractor who is performing work for you under this program, find out how to report it to HUD.

Fraud, waste, and abuse: If you are aware of fraud, waste, and abuse in HUD programs and operations, report it to HUD's Inspector General Hotline!

Problems with HUD's website: HUD does its best to keep HUD's web site current and accurate for you. If you find something wrong on HUD's web site - bad links, information that you believe is wrong or outdated - they want to know. Please contact HUD.

Please review the attached HUD Complaint Process Booklet for more information. 

Design and Construction Resources

HUD Design Manual - Fair Housing Guidelines:

www.huduser.org
Select publications on the left
Select alphabetical listing on right
Select "F" for fair housing
Select Design Manual

ANSI - American National Standards Institute

11 West 42nd Street
New York, New York 10036
Can be purchased on-line from a variety of sources; cannot be reproduced

Fair Housing Accessibility First

1-888-341-7781
www.Fairhousingfirst.org

Reasonable Accommodation

www.hud.gov
Select "Fair Housing" from left column under "Homes"
Select "Reasonable Accommodation" from Quick Links on right
Download HUDIDOJ Statement

Keating Memo - Occupancy Standards

www.hud.gov
Select "Fair Housing" from left column under "Homes"
Select "Policies and Guidelines" from Quick Links on right
Select Keating Memo from list and download
Reasonable Accommodation is also on this list

This section provides information on where to file a fair housing complaint; the information needed to file a complaint; and advice  on what to  expect during the complaint process. If you feel you have been discriminated against by a housing provider, filing a complaint can be a crucial way to protect you and prevent future discrimination in our community.

Your fair housing rights are protected under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act). If those rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with HUD. Anyone can file a complaint with HUD at no cost. Because there are time limits on filing a housing discrimination complaint, you should not delay in contacting HUD.

Fair housing complaints can be filed with HUD by:

• Calling 1-800-669-9777 or 1-800-877-8339
• Mailing a letter that includes: Your name and address, the name and address of the person your complaint is about, the address of the house or apartment at issue, the date when the incident occurred, and a short description of what happened. Mail the letter to: FHEO HUB Office 909 First Ave., Room 205, Seattle, WA 98104.
• Filing online at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint  

After HUD has received the initial information, an intake specialist will contact the person who filed the complaint (the “complainant”) and interview him or her to collect facts about the alleged discrimination. Initial interviews are normally conducted by telephone. The intake specialist will then review the allegations to determine whether HUD has the authority to investigate. It is important to have your notes with key information ready before HUD calls and it is important to return any calls you receive from HUD in order for the investigation to proceed.

For more information about the HUD Complaint Process, see the following webpages:

• https://www.idaholegalaid.org/sites/idaholegalaid.org/files/HUD_Complaint_Process%20Booklet.pdf
• https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/complaints_home

Other Fair Housing Pages:

• Fair Housing Portal
  • I Want to Know the Law
  • I Want Help Creating a Fair Housing Document
  • I am a Housing Provider
  • I Have Questions About Fair Housing

Please provide your feedback on the Fair Housing Portal.