Housing Smart Overview
HousingSmart: Next Generation is an education and outreach grant program aimed at equipping all citizens with the knowledge of rights afforded them by the Fair Housing Act.
Fair Housing Act
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Further, the Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to indicate any preference or limitation on these bases when advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling. The Fair Housing Act also prohibits harassment of anyone exercising a fair housing right and retaliation against an individual because he/she has assisted, or participated in any manner, in a fair housing investigation.
Public Policy behind the Fair Housing Act:
- With its adoptions of fair housing laws, Congress expressed its intent that people with disabilities should have the same rights to use and enjoy housing as do other persons, and that decision making about people with disabilities must be made on objective criteria and not on unfounded assumptions.
HousingSmart: Next Generation project personnel are here to assist you with questions regarding your fair housing rights. If you believe you have been discriminated against based on one of the seven protected categories (race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability) call Allison Combes at 601.432.6977 or toll-free at 1.866.883.3374.
Know Your Housing Rights (PDF)
Going Green (PDF)
Predatory Lending (PDF)
Registering a Complaint (PDF)