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Housing Discrimination
The Community Relations Department enforces laws which prohibit discrimination in all housing-related transactions and situations and the Enforcement Division carries out these responsibilities. The Community Relations Department is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-certified Fair Housing Assistance Program. This designation means that complaints filed with the CRD are also filed with the federal agencies.
These laws cover discriminatory treatment which is based on a person's:
Race Color National Origin Religion Sex Sexual Orientation Disability (if you or someone you live with has a disability), or Familiar Status (children in the family)
Almost all housing-related transactions and treatment are covered by the laws, although some housing providers are exempt. The laws cover access to housing (both buying and leasing), mortgage lending, the terms and conditions of occupancy and many other areas. The discriminatory action(s) must have occurred within the past year to be covered by the law.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against in a housing-related situation due to one of the reasons above, you should call the Community Relations Department at (817) 392-7525. You can talk to an investigator about your situation and, if you want to file a legal complaint of discrimination, you may schedule an appointment to come in and file the complaint.
The Process in Filing a Complaint of Housing Discrimination
Determine if discrimination occurred because of:
Speak with an intake Counselor to determine allegation(s). Examples below:
Refuse to rent to you or sell you housing Tell you housing is unavailable when in fact it is available Show you apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods Set different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling Provide different housing services or facilities Advertise housing to preferred groups of people only Refuse to provide you with information regarding mortgage loans, deny you a mortgage loan, or impose different terms or conditions on a mortgage loan Deny you property insurance Conduct property appraisals in a discriminatory manner Refuse to make reasonable accommodations for persons with a disability if the accommodation may be necessary to afford such a person a reasonable and equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling Fail to design and construct housing in an accessible manner Harass, coerce, intimidate, or interfere with anyone exercising or assisting someone else with his/her fair housing rights
File a complaint:
The Community Relations Department will notify you when it receives your complaint, after determining whether the complaint falls within the Department’s jurisdiction.
Conciliation, Investigation & Determination:
The Respondent named in the complaint will be notified of your housing complaint within ten days. The Community Relations Department’s Conciliator will work with you and the Respondent in an effort to resolve the complaint through the Department’s facilitated resolution process. If settlement efforts are unsuccessful, the charge will be assigned to an investigator for investigation. After the investigation, the Community Relations Department will issue a Letter of Determination on the merits of the case. Regardless of what action the Community Relations Department takes, you may request a right to sue in a Federal District court on your own behalf.
If you file a complaint, the Community Relations Department will investigate your charge at no cost to you.
The Community Relations Department (CRD) is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-certified Fair Housing Assistance Program. That means that complaints filed with the CRD are also filed with this federal agency.
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