Discrimination denies housing

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 6/28/05

In Charleston, it is very common to read a for rent ad that is a form of housing discrimination.

These ads appear in the Daily Eastern News on a regular basis. These discriminating ads are the ones that say "girls only" or "guys only."

Denying someone a place to live based on sex is a form of housing discrimination.

The DEN editorial board realizes it sounds hypocritical to point out mistakes in its own advertising pages, but we are not the ones making these demands. Most of the paper's revenue comes from these ads, and it is our job to print them as requested.

But housing discrimination occurs all over the country, not just in Charleston, and many times the possible tenant doesn't know he or she is being victimized.

There are two laws that protect home seekers from housing discrimination. The first law is the federal Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for a landlord to discriminate against a potential tenant based on certain personal traits or qualities when renting an apartment or house. The act prohibits discrimination by direct housing providers whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to people because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.

The other law is the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, physical or mental handicap, military service or unfavorable military discharge.

Both of these cover unlawful discrimination in the sale or rental of residential or commercial property and apply to an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction.

The law prohibits expressing orally, or in writing, intent to directly or indirectly engage in unlawful discrimination.

Both of these laws clearly state that denying someone a place to live based on sex is against the law.

The law also points out the person liable can be the owner of the property or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction.

According to Daniel Joyce, a licensed real-estate agent and Eastern graduate, all certified agents must sign a code of ethics that states they will not discriminate any possible tenant.

He also said a real-estate agent is tested on the Fair Housing Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act.

The editorial board understands that landlords can always select tenants using criteria that are based on valid business reasons, such as requiring a minimum income or positive references from previous landlords, as long as these standards are applied equally to all tenants.

We are not law experts, but the Fair Housing Act and Illinois Human Rights Act are clear-cut laws which state denying someone a place to live based on sex is against the law.

Housing discrimination alienates renters and gives landlords authority they don't deserve.

If someone feels they have been denied housing based on any of the mentioned reasons, housing complaints can also be filed online at www.hud.gov.