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Fair Housing

Discrimination is a tool often used by those who benefit from existing social structures to maintain and reinforce the status quo. People have organized against this subtle and not-so-subtle form of control for decades.

Governments have responded to those reform efforts by setting up agencies that are charged with the enforcement of these laws and ordinances. Generally, the closer the agency is to you, and the closer you are to an urban area, the stricter these anti-discrimination laws are.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, you may call one of these government agencies (see table) and ask that there be an investigation. If enough evidence is found that illegal discrimination did occur, and the defendant does not change their behavior and/or make an acceptable settlement offer, the agency is charged with seeking civil and/or criminal damages on your behalf. Another effective option is to hire an attorney to pursue the case. Retaining a private attorney, however, can be very expensive.

The law does not always clearly state what sort of protections one may have from discrimination. For instance, the federal law barring bias due to familial status has been interpreted to mean it is no longer legal to discriminate against persons because they have children. Also, the Washington state law preventing discrimination due to the presence of a disability also protects the privacy of one’s HIV status. For more information, consult one of the specific agencies listed.

To ensure a conviction, or have a reasonable chance at a successful settlement, there must be very clear evidence. The burden of proof usually falls upon the person filing the complaint. Tenants have found that clear documentation and a certain amount of creativity greatly enhance the probability of a successful case. For instance, when a landlord refuses to rent a two bedroom apartment to a single mother with two children, a call a day later from a friend to the same landlord on behalf of three adults with the same economic situation as the mother will often times produce compelling evidence.

Finally, and frequently most frustrating, it is legal for landlords to discriminate for any reason other than the items listed in the table below. It is legal for a landlord to discriminate against a person with blue shoes. It is also legal for landlords to discriminate on the basis of financial status, bad (or no) credit, former or current homelessness, and so on.

Fair Housing: protected classes in different jurisdictions

Fair housing is a patchwork of different Federal, State, and local laws. Keep in mind that although States and cities can add new protections on top of the protections provide by Federal Law, they cannot take away protections granted under Federal law.

Entire United States

Everyone in the United States is protected against discrimination by reason of:

U.S. Fair Housing law is enforced by:
HUD Fair Housing Enforcement Center
206-220-5172
TDD: 1-800-927-9275

Entire State of Washington

Everyone in Washington State is protected against discrimination by reason of:

Washington State Fair Housing law is enforced by:
Washington State Human Rights Commission
Seattle: 206-464-6500
Olympia: 206-753-6770
Spokane: 509-456-4473
Yakima: 509-575-2772

Unincorporated King County

Residents who live in unincorporated King County are protected against discrimination by reason of:

King County Fair Housing Law is enforced by:
King County Office of Civil Rights Enforcement
206-296-7592

City of Seattle

Residents of the City of Seattle are protected against discrimination by reason of:

Seattle Fair Housing Law is enforced by:
Seattle Office for Civil Rights
206-684-4500

City of Olympia

Residents of the City of Olympia are protected against disrimination by reason of:

Unfortunately, there is no Olympia city agency which enforces fair housing law.

City of Lacey

Residents of the City of Lacey are protected against disrimination by reason of:

Unfortunately, there is no Lacey city agency which enforces fair housing law.

City of Tumwater

Residents of the City of Tumwater are protected against disrimination by reason of:

Unfortunately, there is no Tumwater city agency which enforces fair housing law.

Posted: Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Disclaimer: The information contained in or linked to the Tenants Union website is for informational purposes only. The Tenants Union makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to its web site.

The Tenants Union cannot act as your attorney, and its staff members are not attorneys. The Tenants Union makes no representations, expressed or implied, that the information contained in or linked to its web site can or will be used or interpreted in any particular way by any governmental agency or court. As legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing provided herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.