With multiple housing providers facing lawsuits over their alleged misuse of criminal histories in housing decisions, the National Association of Realtors has come up with a few best practices for agents who insist on using them. The tips, presented in a recent “Window to the Law” video, aim to prevent agents and housing providers from
Housing providers urged to be cautious when applying criminal background checks
Buyer love letters have been banned in Oregon
Oregon has become the first U.S. state to ban buyer love letters when making an offer on a home
Netflix donates $25M to help end housing discrimination
Video streaming giant Netflix wants to help put a stop to what it calls systematic racism in the U.S. housing industry. It has stepped in with a $25 million grant to a wider national effort that aims to combat discrimination in housing. The funds are being made available to Enterprise Community Partners, which is a
New York can now revoke licenses from real estate pros that discriminate
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed into law new legislation that makes it possible for the state to revoke real estate licenses from agents and brokers who violate anti-discrimination laws. Cuomo said New York has “zero tolerance” for discrimination of any kind and that the “sheer scope and breadth of the unscrupulous and
Google to block targeted ads based on ZIP codes and demographics
Internet search giant Google has announced new polices for advertisers that will prevent them from targeting or excluding ads for housing, employment and credit based on ZIP codes and demographics. The new policies are meant to prevent housing discrimination, Google said. They’re an expansion of existing policies that prevent advertisers from targeting ads based on
HUD Says Maine Landlord Wouldn’t Allow Disabled Vet to have Assistance Animal
HUD recently charged a Maine landlord with housing discrimination for not allowing a disabled veteran to have an assistance animal in his apartment. According to HUD’s Charge of Discrimination (HUD Charge) against Roderick Apartments, LLC, Jo Roderick told the veteran that once she allowed a tenant to have an assistance animal, and other tenants wanted
Fair Housing Act Primer for Multifamily Owners
Fifty years ago, on April 11, 1968, The Fair Housing Act (FHA) became law. At first, the FHA only prohibited housing discrimination based upon race, color, religion, and national origin.
Consumer Action: ‘Housing Discrimination… Alive and Well’
Following a round of recent fair housing complaints and mortgage discrimination charges, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) has opened its own front to protect credit consumers from discrimination.