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Fair Housing
Fair Housing
It is illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing, including against individuals seeking a mortgage or housing assistance or in other housing-related activities. The Fair Housing Act prohibits this discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability. A variety of other federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, prohibit discrimination in housing and community development programs and activities, particularly those that are assisted with HUD funding. The City of Texas City works with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) to eliminate housing discrimination and promote civil rights and economic opportunity through housing. FHEO enforces fair housing laws. The Texas City, Fair Housing Administrator, investigates complaints of housing discrimination. If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of any of these federal fair housing laws, you can file a complaint by clicking above.
INTIMIDATION OR INTERFERENCE.
A person commits an offense if the person, without regard to whether the person is acting under color of law, by force or threat of force, intentionally intimidates or interferes with a person:
• Because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin and because the person is or has been selling, purchasing, renting, financing, occupying, or contracting or negotiating for the sale, purchase, rental, financing, or occupation of any dwelling or applying for or participating in a service, organization or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings; or
• Because the person is or has been, or to intimidate the person from:
1. Participating, without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, in any activity, service, organization, or facility described above;
2. Affording another person opportunity or protection to participate so; or
3. Lawfully aiding or encouraging other persons to participate, without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, in any activity, service, organization, or facility described above.
FILING OF COMPLAINTS.
• Only the person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or who believes he or she will be irrevocably injured by a discriminatory housing practice that has occurred or is occurring, referred to in this subchapter as “person aggrieved,” may file a complaint with the Administrator.
• If, at any time, the Administrator shall receive or discover credible evidence and shall have probable cause to believe that any persons have committed or are committing a discriminatory housing practice as to which no complaint has been filed, the Administrator may prepare and file a complaint upon her own motion and in her own name, and the complaint shall thereafter be treated in the same manner as a complaint filed by a person aggrieved.
• All complaints shall be filed within 60 days following the occurrence of alleged discriminatory housing practice.
• Upon the filing or referral of any complaint, the Administrator shall provide notice of the complaint by furnishing a copy of the complaint to the persons named in the complaint who allegedly committed or were threatening to commit an alleged discriminatory housing practice.
• The accused may file an answer to the complaint within ten (10) days of receipt of the written complaint.
INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS; INFORMAL CONCILIATION; PROSECUTION.
• Upon the filing or referral of a complaint, the Administrator shall conduct a prompt and full investigation of the matter stated in the complaint.
• During or after the investigation, but after the mailing of the notice of complaint, the Administrator shall, if it appears that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is threatening to occur, attempt by informal endeavors to effect conciliation, including voluntary discontinuance of the discriminatory housing practice and adequate assurance of future voluntary compliance with the provisions of this subchapter.
• Nothing said or done during the informal endeavors may be made public by the Administrator, by the complainant or by any other party to the proceedings without the written consent of all persons concerned.
• Upon completion of the investigation and informal endeavors at conciliation by the Administrator, but within 100 days of the filing of the complaint with the Administrator, if the efforts of the Administrator to secure voluntary compliance have been unsuccessful, and if the Administrator has made a determination that a discriminatory housing practice has in fact occurred, the Administrator shall recommend to the City Attorney that the violation be prosecuted in the Municipal Court.
• The City Attorney shall decide as to whether to proceed with prosecution of the complaint in Municipal Court.
• If the City Attorney determines to prosecute, he or she shall institute a complaint and prosecute it to conclusion within 30 days after such determination, or as soon thereafter as possible.