The federal Fair Housing Act was adopted in 1968 and amended in 1988. HUD is the agency charged with enforcing the Fair Housing Act. According to HUD, impediments to fair housing choice are any actions, omissions, or decisions taken because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin that restrict housing choices, or the availability of housing choices. HUD also considers any actions, omissions or decisions that have the effect of restricting housing choices or the availability of housing choices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin to be impediments to fair housing choice. The State of Colorado also has enacted legislation prohibiting housing discrimination, and State law offers the same protections as the Fair Housing Act, with additional protections based on marital status, creed, and ancestry.
Whether people are trying to rent, buy, sell, or finance a home or apartment, as a tenant, homeowner, or landlord, rights and protections are provided by the Federal Fair Housing Act. Illegal housing discrimination can take many forms:
If you would like to report a fair housing complaint or ask questions related to fair housing, please contact any of the following:
Reports across the country indicate that those who are low-income, seniors or disabled, seeking to purchase, refinance, or secure a reverse mortgage, are often targets for predatory lenders or loan fraud. Predatory lenders take advantage of borrowers with a variety of abusive practices, such as charging excessive interest rates or loan fees.
