Public Utilities Statement on Housing Discrimination

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits the denial of housing to a person based on the person’s membership in one or more of the classes protected under e Act. The protected classes are race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability. It is therefore illegal to discriminate

against a person in the provision of housing because of a person’s membership in a protected class in

the following situations: 

• the sale or rental of most housing; the terms, conditions, privileges of sale or rental, or provision of services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental of most housing; 

• the advertising of a sale or rental of housing; the representation of the availability of housing for rental or sale; the provision of reasonable modification to a dwelling for persons with a disability at their expense when necessary for the full use and enjoyment of the dwelling; 

• the provision of reasonable accommodations to the rules, policies, practices or services when necessary to provide persons with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling; 

• the financing or refinancing of housing; and the provision of real estate brokerage services.

WHAT IS PROHIBITED? 

FALSE DENIAL OF AVAILABILITY. Advising someone, because of his or her class member ship, that there are no available units when, in fact, there are. “Sorry we just rented the last unit.” 

REFUSAL TO DEAL. Refusing to rent, sell, or negotiate with a person because of class member ship. “We don’t rent to Jews.” or “We don’t sell to families with children.”

DISCRIMINATORY TERMS, CONDITIONS AND PROVISION OF SERVICES OR FACILITIES. Giving less favorable terms in sales or rental agreements because of class membership. “The rent is $200 higher for tenants with a service animal.”

DISCRIMINATORY ADVERTISING. Indicating any preference, limitation or discrimination because of class member ship. “No African Americans need apply.” 

FINANCIAL DISCRIMINATION. Denying any type of home loan for discriminatory reasons by lenders, including banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, and others, or giving less favorable loan terms because of class membership.

REFUSAL TO PERMIT A REASONABLE MODIFICATION TO THE UNIT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, IN ORDER THAT THE PERSON MAY HAVE FULL ENJOYMENT OF THE UNIT. “You may not install grab bars in the bathroom.”

DENIAL OF A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF RENTAL IN ORDER THAT THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY MAY HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO USE AND FULLY ENJOY THEIR UNIT. “It’s against the rules to have another person live with you, even though there is enough room and the person is necessary to help you with your health needs.

In addition, it is illegal to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with a person seeking to exercise rights under the Fair Housing Act.

The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina is available to provide information concerning

a person’s rights under the federal Fair Housing Act.

LEGAL AID OF NORTH CAROLINA
Fair Housing Project
P.O. Box 26087 Raleigh, NC 27611
1-855-797-3247
fairhousingnc.org

Any person or persons wishing to file a complaint of housing discrimination in the Town of Selma may do so by informing Town Manager, or successor so titled, 114 N. Raiford Street, Selma, NC 27576-2833, phone number 919-965-9841; TDD: 800-735-2962, of the facts and circumstance of the alleged discriminatory acts or practice.

Upon receiving a housing discrimination complaint, the Town Manager shall acknowledge the complaint within 10 days in writing and inform the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) and the North Carolina Human Relations Commission (NCHRC) about the complaint.

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