Fair Housing Initiative Program
Program Overview
Housing is a basic human right and fundamental for maintaining safety, health and stability. Discrimination in housing is still prevalent in our community and negatively effects families’ livelihoods, especially those living in poverty and minority communities. Limited-income and minority communities have the least access to resources, making them most at-risk to housing discrimination including rejection, unfair treatment in housing, and retaliation.
Highlights from National Fair Housing Alliance 2024 Fair Housing Trends Report:
- There were 34,150 fair housing complaints received by private non-profit fair housing organizations, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2023, compared to 33,007 in 2022.
- Private nonprofit fair housing organizations processed 75.52 percent of complaints, a 5.68 percent increase from the previous year.
- Discrimination based on disability accounted for the majority (52.61 percent) of complaints filed with private nonprofit fair housing organizations (FHOs), HUD, and FHAP agencies.
- There were 1,521 complaints of harassment reported last year, an increase of 66.23 percent.
- There were 824 complaints based on color reported last year; this represents an increase of 35.30 percent.
At SERI our goal is to create a more inclusive community and equal opportunity for all in housing. For the fourth consecutive year, we have been awarded $125,000 to combat housing discrimination in the Tucson Metropolitan Area under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP).
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968 and prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability. The FHA protects people from discrimination when renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in any other housing-related activities.
We aim to help our community recognize possible signs of discrimination in housing and encourage compliance with FHA law. We provide fair housing education and outreach to the public, housing providers, and our local government to help end discrimination. Our program provides education and outreach in English, Spanish, Swahili, Mandarin, Arabic and Tagalog. Attend one of our free upcoming workshops to learn about your fair housing rights!
Have you been discriminated against in housing on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability? Contact our fair housing complaint inquiry hotline by calling (520) 306-0938 or completing an online form.
Back in 2021, we were awarded $20K in grant funding from HUD to address the COVID-19 pandemic through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). During disasters and emergencies, fair housing discrimination and violations increase. The most vulnerable groups in our community were those with disabilities and who were older. Through education and outreach we offered housing providers education on the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and how to comply.
In 1968 the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was signed, making it illegal for people to discriminate in any aspect of housing based on an individual’s race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. These are known as the seven federal protected classes.
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) applies to when people are renting, buying a home, seeking a mortgage, housing assistance, homeowners’ insurance, or engaging in any other housing-related transactions.
Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability:
- Refuse to rent, sell, or negotiate housing.
- Otherwise make housing unavailable or discourage the purchase or rental of a dwelling.
- Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling.
- Provide a person different or limit privileges in housing services or facilities of a dwelling.
- Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental.
- Make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination.
- Impose different sales prices or rental charges for the sale or rental of a dwelling.
- Use different qualification criteria or applications, or sale or rental standards or procedures.
- Evict a tenant or a tenant’s guest.
- Harass a person.
- Fail or delay performance of maintenance or repairs.
- Assign a person to a particular area of a building or neighborhood.
- Profit, persuade, or try to persuade, homeowners to sell their homes by suggesting people of a particular protected class are planning to move into the neighborhood (blockbusting).
- Deny access to or membership in any multiple listing service (MLS) or real estate brokers’ organization.
- Refuse to provide or discriminate in the terms or conditions of homeowners insurance due to one’s protected class.
- Refuse to make a mortgage loan or provide other financial assistance for a dwelling.
- Refuse to provide information regarding loans.
- Impose different terms or conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees.
- Discriminate in appraising a dwelling.
- Refuse to purchase a loan.
- Condition the availability of a loan on a person’s response to harassment.
- Threaten, coerce, intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising their fair housing right or assisting others who exercise the right.
- Retaliate against a person who has filed a fair housing complaint or assisted in a fair housing investigation.
- “Your application has been denied.”
- “There are no units available.”
- “The advertisement is inaccurate. The rent is really $100 higher per month.”
- “We only take people who speak English clearly.”
- “Due to your background, we will need to collect additional documents.”
- “You might be more comfortable living in a neighborhood with mosques.”
- “Unfortunately, steps are all we have. We cannot accommodate a walker for you.”
- “There are no accessible parking spaces in the building’s parking lot.”
- “Sorry, our company has a strict policy of only sending rental payment notices to residents.”
- “There’s a lot of traffic in this area. It isn’t safe for kids to live here.”
- “The building patio is for adult-use only and you need to make sure your children do not violate the building rules.”
- “We recommend you and your family rent on the first floor.”
- “I’m sorry, but I’ve seen too many women change their mind about going back to work so your future income is not stable for receiving a loan.”
- “Unfortunately, toilet and washer repairs are not available until next week.”
- “Yes, but only if you go on a date with me.”
Program Partners
Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing
City of Tucson Housing and Community Development
Family Housing Resources
People’s Defense Initiative/Tucson Tenants Union
Pima County Community Land Trust
Southwest Fair Housing Council
How To File A Complaint With SERI
Have you been discriminated against in housing on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability? The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination against anyone who identifies themselves under the seven protected classes during housing transactions. If you have suffered housing discrimination speak up, you have rights! Contact our complaint inquiry hotline. We are here to help!
We respond within 1 business day, are an Arizona Relay Friendly Service Business partner and take inquiries in all languages. After initial intake information we refer your inquiry to our program partner, Southwest Fair Housing Council (SWFHC). SWFHC assists clients with allegations of illegal housing discrimination, provides investigative assistance, counseling, mitigation of damages, and refers clients to housing resources in Arizona. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact us.
For general inquiries please contact us at (520) 321-9488 or seri@seriaz.org.
Upcoming Events
Take a free workshop on your fair housing rights! For questions, please contact workshops@serizaz.org.
Program Material
- Program Brochure
- Housing Discrimination Against Individuals With Disabilities Handout
- Housing Discrimination Against Immigrants Or National Origin Handout
- Housing Discrimination Against Families With Children Handout
- Basics of Fair Housing Presentation
- Disability and Fair Housing Presentation
- Discrimination Based on Sex and Fair Housing Presentation
- Are You A Victim Of Housing Discrimination Complaint Form
- Fair Housing Education For Housing Providers and Lenders
- Working With Tenants and Home Buyers Impacted By COVID-19 Presentation
- Fair Housing for Tenants and Home Buyers Presentation
- Fair Housing for Housing Providers and Lenders Presentation
- Basics of Fair Housing Workshop Flyer
Additional Resources
- Fair Housing Rights and Obligations
- Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act
- HUD Fair Housing Outreach Tools
- Introduction to Fair Housing Presentation
- Fair Housing Brochures
- Fair Housing Videos
- Fair Housing Guide
- Fair Housing Booklet
- Basics of Fair Housing Law Presentation
- Arizona Tenants Rights and Responsibilities Handbook
- Fair Housing Arizona Department of Housing
- FHEO Annual Reports on Fair Housing
- NFHA 2024 Fair Housing Trends Report
- Tools for Landlords with Tenants Impacted by COVID-19
- Landlords and Property Managers Guide
- Fair Housing Act Design Manual
- A Conversation on Sexual Harassment in Housing Situations for Agencies
- Preventing Sexual and Discriminatory Harassment Best Practices for Public Housing Agencies (English)
- Preventing and Addressing Harassment for Property Owners and Managers
- Preventing and Addressing Harassment for Public Housing Agency Executive and Commissioners
- Preventing and Addressing Harassment for Public Housing Agency Employees
- Family Housing Resources Homebuyer Education Workshop
- City of Tucson Section 8 Program Information
- City of Tucson Housing Assistance Programs
Disclaimer
This material is based on work supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under FHIP Grant FEOI230004. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of HUD.