Austin Fair Housing Act Lawyer
History
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 into law on April 11 of that year. The Act was written to complement the earlier Civil Rights Act of 1964, which guaranteed freedom from discrimination in employment, schools, and public access areas. The CRA ’68, as it is also called, expanded on that by prohibiting discriminatory practices in selling or leasing homes. For this reason, it is also widely known as the Fair Housing Act.
As Austin civil rights attorneys, The Melton Law Firm are proud to represent victims of housing discrimination. We are dedicated to seeing that legislation like the Fair Housing Act is upheld.
Who the FHA Protects
The FHA has been added to over the years, so that it now helps even more people than it did at the time it was written. Currently, the Act bans housing discrimination based on:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- National Origin
- Sex (added in 1974)
- Level of ability (added in 1988)
- Whether a family includes children (added in 1988)
Austin fair housing lawyers The Melton Law Firm will gladly represent any client who has been illegally discriminated against while searching for a home.
What the FHA Forbids
Under this federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is selling or leasing property to:
- Refuse to sell or rent to members of a protected group
- Offer different terms or conditions to members of protected and non-protected groups
- Post advertisements stating a preferred race, religion, etc to sell or lease to
- Interfering with a person’s exercise or enjoyment of housing rights
- Retaliation against an individual or people who support him or her, based on discriminatory views
Contact Us
If you have been the victim of any of these illegal practices, contact Austin Fair Housing Act lawyers The Melton Law Firm at 512-330-0017 today.