Housing Provider Information

At the Fair Housing Council (FHCO), we want to be sure you're aware of your rights and responsibilities under federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

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Fair Housing Resources for Housing Providers:

Following are a few quick resource links for you. For yet more information, scroll down through this page designed just for housing providers like you.

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Fair Housing Materials:

Fair Housing Posters

• We Believe In Fair Housing Poster
  www.FHCO.org/pdfs/we_believe_fh_poster.pdf
• FHCO's Annual Poster Contest
  www.FHCO.org/contest.htm for contest information.
  Many housing providers place these posters in their offices and model units. Contact us at information@FHCO.org to receive one or more copies of the poster. NOTE: We do not have copies of the HUD poster.

HUD Fair Housing Logos

• Equal Housing Opportunity Logo (HUD)
  http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf11/hudgraphics/fheologo.cfm
• Equal Lender Logo (HUD)
  click here for .TIFF image document
  
• Fair Housing Posters: Posting Is the Law
  www.FHCO.org/pdfs/FHposterRequirements.pdf
• Passing on the Poster May Be a Costly Blunder (National Fair Housing Advocate Online)
  www.FHCO.org/pdfs/PassingOnFHposterCostly.pdf

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Additional Fair Housing Resources for Housing Providers:

The History of Civil Rights in Housing
www.FHCO.org/history.htm

What Do I Do If Someone Has Filed a Fair Housing Complaint Against Me?
click here for recommendations

Inclusive Rental Practices and Affirmative Marketing (FHCO Article)
click here to view PDF document

Advertising and "THE LIST"
click here to view PDF document

‘Close Enough’ may Result in a Fair Housing Lawsuit
click here to view PDF document

Removal of Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
www.FHCO.org/regbarriers.htm

Occupancy Standards and Fair Housing Law
www.FHCO.org/occupancy.htm

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Other Housing Resources:

FHCO's Page for Housing Consumers
www.FHCO.org/hs_consumer_info.htm

FHCO's Preparing to Rent page
www.FHCO.org/prep_to_rent.htm

• A Sample Rental Application: An interactive tool translated into multiple languages
  www.FHCO.org/rent_ap.htm
• A Sample Rental Agreement: An interactive tool
  www.FHCO.org/rent_agmt.htm

FHCO's Home Buying page
www.FHCO.org/hm_buying.htm

• The Standard Loan Application: An interactive tool translated into multiple languages
  www.FHCO.org/loan_ap.htm
• The HUD-1 Settlement Statement: An interactive tool translated into multiple languages
  www.FHCO.org/hud1.htm

FHCO's Financial Literacy page
www.FHCO.org/finc_literacy.htm

FHCO's Collected Information on Foreclosure Prevention (scroll down to #5)
www.FHCO.org/hm_buying.htm

FHCO's Collected Information on Predatory Lending (scroll down to #4)
www.FHCO.org/hm_buying.htm

FHCO's Homeownership Resources page
www.FHCO.org/ownership.htm

Landlord Trade Associations and Other Groups in Oregon and SW Washington
www.FHCO.org/hs_prov_groups.htm

Free Housing Ads
www.FHCO.org/hc_freeads.htm

Lead Hazards in Housing
www.FHCO.org/lead.htm

RMLS Accessibility Brochure: What You Don't Know About Your Listings and RMLS Search Options May Have You Missing the Mark on a Significant Market Segment!
www.FHCO.org/pdfs/rmls_accessibility_brochure.pdf

"Smokefree Housing"
www.FHCO.org/sf.htm

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What Do I Do If Someone Has Filed a Fair Housing Complaint Against Me?

Fair housing is serious business, and all of us work hard to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and other fair housing laws. Despite all your best efforts, you may still find yourself faced with a fair housing complaint and its accompanying investigation. You may wish to view our Enforcement Flow Chart at www.FHCO.org/pdfs/EnfFlowChart.pdf.

First, don’t take it personally. On the other hand, you should take the complaint seriously. Read the complaint documents you've received very carefully. Such documentation will including important information about your rights and specific timelines to be aware of. Don't miss this opportunity to present your side of the story.

We strongly advised you to speak with an attorney well-versed in fair housing law with any questions you may have. Note that a real estate or landlord / tenant attorney may or may not be adequately trained in fair housing issues.

While they do not provide legal represntation, you might also contact a local landlord trade association. Many of them offer a hotline where volunteer members answer callers' questions. Click here for a list of landlord trade associations in Oregon and SW Washington.

Gather all the documents that relate to the complaint. If you have maintained written resident files, and have established and adhered to consistent operating policies, this should not be a difficult task. Be sure to keep detailed written records of what happened, including dates, times, who was involved, as well as the names of possible witnesses. Keep an ongoing log of suspequent events.

You may get a call from the investigator handling the case, asking you to consider "conciliation" (settlement) of the complaint. HUD and all agencies certified by HUD have a statutory duty to attempt conciliation at some point during the investigation. The investigator is impartial—like a mediator, shuttling offers and counteroffers between the parties.

Many complaints are resolved with conciliation. In the event the investigating agency does find evidence to believe a violation has occurred, the agency ceases to be impartial and then begins steps to remedy the damage done by the discrimination.

To summarize, when you are notifled that a complaint of a fair housing violation has been filed against you or your company:

• Don't get emotional.
• Decide whether you want to retain an attorney for the investigation.
• If you do, consult an attorney with expertise in fair housing laws.
• Respond to the complaint.
• Participate in conciliation discussions and cooperate with the investigator's requests to a reasonable extent.

Following these simple steps should result in a faster, less complicated, and ultimately less costly resolution of the complaint.

Additional Information on Responding to a Fair Housing Complaint:

Compliments of the Fair Housing Partners of Washington State
www.FHCO.org/pdfs/RespondingToFHComplaint.pdf
NOTE: While a few Washington state references will be different, the majority of this document is equally relevant and helpful for Oregon residents.

Timeframes:

One must file a complaint with HUD within one year of the incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of the incident.

What about Retaliation?

It is illegal for a housing provider to retaliate against a housing consumer for inquiring about his / her fair housing rights, filing a discrimination complaint, or otherwise taking steps to legally protect his / her civil rights in housing.

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	"Thank You" The FHCO would like to thank our partners and members for their support. Their contributions and grants have helped to make the resources on this site possible. Please join them in supporting our efforts!

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