Test Your Fair Housing Knowledge

True or False:

Q: An advertisement which includes the phrases "No kids allowed" or "Adults only" 
may be a violation of Fair Housing laws.
A: True. These laws cover all housing transactions and services, including advertising, rentals, sales, lending, and insurance, as well as harassment which discriminates against home-seekers with children. However, an exemption is provided to the familial status rules for properties that are able to qualify as "Housing for Older Persons."

Industry News

ALERT: State and Federal law enforcement are aggressively pursuing Housing Discrimination violations. If you're planning next year's budget, don't forget to include CallSource. We offer the most extensive e-Learning courses in all areas for the multifamily industry, including Fair Housing training.

MCHR Investigation Leads to Record Housing Discrimination Award

The St. Louis County Circuit Court has ordered an apartment's owner and manager to pay $300,000 in damages to tenants in a case brought by the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR). The case involved a landlord who had discriminated against two tenants with disabilities by removing the ramp which the tenants used to enter and exit their apartment. Read the article

American Classifieds Sued for Discriminating Against Families with Children

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and its member organization Fair Housing Council of Central California (FHCCC) has announced a housing discrimination lawsuit against the nation's largest classified advertisement publisher, American Classifieds, LLC for publishing housing ads that state children are not allowed. Read the article

FTC Delays Enforcement of 'Red Flags' Rule to Nov. 1, 2009

To assist small businesses and other entities, the Federal Trade Commission staff will redouble its efforts to educate them about compliance with the "Red Flags" Rule and ease compliance by providing additional resources and guidance to clarify whether businesses are covered by the Rule and what they must do to comply. To give creditors and financial institutions more time to review this guidance and develop and implement written Identity Theft Prevention Programs, the FTC will further delay enforcement of the Rule until November 1, 2009. Read more

Freddie Mac Settles Guaranteed Structured Pass-Through K Certificates Successful Offering Brings Needed Liquidity to Multifamily Investment Market

Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) announced that it has settled the offering of its Series K-003 Structured Pass-Through Certificates ("K Certificates"), multifamily mortgage-backed securities intended to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the nation's multifamily housing market. Learn more

NMHC Guidance: New Lead-Based Paint Regulations for Pre-1978 Properties

As of April 2010, owners of market-rate properties built before 1978 will have to comply with EPA lead safety regulations that govern common renovation and repair activities. Known as the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations, the rules were issued on March 30, 2008. (Age-restricted properties, properties with no children occupying them and properties that have been certified to be free of lead-based paint by a state inspector are exempt from the RRP regulations.) Learn more