Fair Housing Information

The Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) declared it a national policy to provide for fair housing throughout the United States. This law and subsequent amendments, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. The Fair Housing Act provides protection against the following discriminatory acts:

  1. Refusing to sell, lease, or rent.
  2. Discrimination in terms or conditions of buying or renting housing. 
  3. "Blockbusting" for profit (persuading owners to sell or rent housing by telling them that minority groups are moving into the neighborhood).
  4. Denying housing is available for inspection, rent, or sale, when it is available
  5. Denying or making terms for home loans by commercial lenders (banks, savings & loans, and insurance companies).
  6. Denying to anyone the sale of or the participation in any real estate service such as broker's organizations, multiple listing services, rental agencies, or other facilities related to the selling or renting of housing
  7. "Steering" is influencing the locational choice of purchase of a prospective buyer (showing whites homes in all white areas for racial reasons, while showing Blacks homes in integrated or predominately Black areas for racial reasons, is steering, even though no racial terms are used.

New Jersey's Civil Rights Law prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin, as well as ancestry, marital status and a person's source of income.

 

Where to File Complaints:

  • Central Jersey Housing Resource Center Corp. (CJHRC) - Fair Housing Agency for Somerset County
    92 East Main Street, Suite 407
    Somerville, NJ 08876

    908-446-0036
    2cjhrc@gmail.com
    www.cjhrc.org
     
  • New Jersey Division of Civil Rights
    383 West State Street
    Trenton, NJ 08618

    609-292-4606
     
  • Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
    U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
    26 Federal Plaza, Room 3532
    New York, NY 10278-0068

    212-542-7519; 800-496-4294
    https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/contact_fheo
Support Section