Fannie Mae Foundation: How to Buy a Home

Note to the teacher:
The topic of fair housing is critical for students. There are many ways to introduce the topic of fair housing into classes, and you may find that the topic makes its way into your discussions about housing naturally. Either way, it is useful at some point during your home-buying readiness class to formally introduce the topic by explaining the ways that people are protected against housing discrimination as defined by the Federal Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The handouts below will you help you do that.

Handout: The Fair Housing Act
and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act

With discussion questions by Deborah Schwartz, Adult Literacy Resource Institute, Boston, MA

Under the Federal Housing Act, people are protected based on the following categories:
Race or color This includes all races and every color. Members of one race cannot be discriminated against by members of any other race.

National origin	National origin refers to the country where you were born or where your parents, grandparents, or ancestors are from. People are not allowed to discriminate against you because of your last name, your accent, or the way you dress.
Religion	No religion may be used as a reason to exclude an applicant from or include an applicant for any loan or home available to the public.
Gender	Gender refers to your sex: female or male. During all stages of the home-buying process, women and men must be treated equally. You have a right to be free from sexual harassment as you buy a home.
Familial status	This term is used to describe whether you have children. You cannot be treated differently because you have children or don’t have children, or because of the number of children you have (or who are in your care).
Disability	A disability can be physical or mental. Disabilities include a loss of hearing, a loss of sight, a disability requiring the use of a wheelchair, long-term mental illness, mental retardation, and HIV/AIDS.

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, when you borrow money for a home loan, you are also protected based on your —

Age	You cannot be discriminated against based on your age. For example, you cannot be denied housing because you are a senior citizen.
Marital status	Marital status refers to whether you are married.

Questions:

1. The Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act protect people based on the following categories:

2. Are there any categories of people who are not explicitly addressed within the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act?

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