Reacting to Violations of the Fair Housing Act
The U.S. Fair Housing Act was originally enacted in 1968 to prohibit discrimination in the provision of housing due to race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. The legislation targets direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies, as well as other entities like municipalities, banks and other lending institutions, and homeowners’ insurance companies whose discriminatory practices may make housing unavailable to particular groups.
There has often been confusion and inconsistency with the implementation and enforcement of the Fair Housing Act across the country. Though enacted in 1968, regulations to enforce the Act were not drafted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) until the late 1980s and early 1990s. HUD’s own regulations are at times inconsistent, making education on the rules to direct providers difficult. To add to the confusion, the Department of Justice, which enforces the regulations, often has interpreted the policies differently than HUD.
In recent months, the AIA has received an increasing number of reports of architects being targeted for violations or potential violations of the Fair Housing Act, particularly in regards to accessibility. Are you aware of these situations? In your opinion, what can the AIA do, both to prevent future violations as well as to help those who currently find themselves in this precarious circumstance?
Tell us what you think.