July 3, 2012
All lenders, including those who participate in the FHA loan program, are required to comply with Fair Housing Act laws. But in some cases the first line of defense against discrimination is with the borrower who files a complaint after receiving discriminatory treatment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Fair Housing laws prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status. Borrowers who feel they’ve been discriminated against at any stage of the home buying process should report their complaints as instructed on the FHA official site, which says:
“Email or contact us at (800)669-9777 and for the hearing impaired, please call TTY (800)927-9275″.
Did you know there is support for such complaints in a variety of languages? Borrowers can find help in Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and other languages by following the links on the FHA/HUD’s Fair Housing Act Enforcement page.
This page also features an important resource for some borrowers–a list of past and current cases of alleged discrimination of the Fair Housing Act. You can see current open cases, titled “Fair Housing Act Charges” broken down by year. Each year features the list of cases, the names of the companies/financial institutions accused of Fair Housing Act violations, and links to the appropriate FHA/HUD press releases detailing each case.
Borrowers should never accept discriminatory practices–when you’re searching for a new home to purchase with an FHA mortgage, conventional loan, VA guaranteed mortgage or other means. Federal laws do not allow discrimination in the housing process, but it’s up to the consumer to report such practices when they’re encountered. It’s the only way to insure such laws continue to protect consumers.
Do you have a question about FHA home loans? Ask us in the comments section.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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