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The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on the following protected classes:
The term "protected class" refers to a group of people whom the law protects against illegal discrimination. A protected class is named for the characteristic that these people share.
Housing Discrimination Laws Cover:
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Houses, apartments, mobile home parks, and any real estate rented or sold with or without a real estate salesperson, broker or leasing agent;
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Real estate sold at auction;
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Rental apartments, regardless of the number of units in any one building;
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Single family homes sold or rented directly by the owner or builder; and
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Boarding houses and rooming houses occupied by the owner.
The following types of situation may be in violation of fair housing laws:
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Raising the price of the property you are interested in for the purpose of keeping you out.
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Increasing the sale price from the advertised price.
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Requiring a higher down payment or security deposit from you but not from others on an equal basis.
What To Do:
If you feel you have been discriminated against in housing, make sure you take these steps:
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Keep a record of the names, dates, addresses, phone numbers and other important information which can assist in the investigation of your complaint.
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Do not forget to be as specific as possible about he incident. Get names and addresses of any witnesses to the incident whenever possible.
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Following the incident, you have one year to file an administrative complaint or two years to file a lawsuit.
Most incidents of Fair Housing violations stem from ignorance of the law, rather than from hated or harmful intent. With our education and outreach activities, FHRC can bring about systematic change and promote equal housing opportunities for everyone in the community.
FHRC offers broad-based, full fair housing services to residents of Lake County. Our services include: Intake allegations of housing discrimination, testing, and evaluation of test results and provision of other investigative or complaint support. FHRC investigates individual complaints and systematic housing discrimination. Also, FHRC mediates and/or assists in the voluntary resolution of allegations of fair housing discrimination and if necessary, litigates meritorious fair housing cases.
To read more about how you can be a victim of discrimination, download our Fair Housing Brochure. 
