Fair Housing Rights
for Parents and Pregnant Women
Did you know that discrimination against pregnant women and parents is happening in home loans and rental applications across the country? This type of discrimination is illegal under the Fair Housing Act. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agrees and has amped up their investigations.
HUD is now conducting a dozen investigations on behalf of parents. Elizabeth Budde of Washington State was denied a home loan from Cornerstone Mortgage Company - specifically because she was on maternity leave. This is illegal. HUD announced last week that Cornerstone will now not only compensate Elizabeth, they are also setting up a $750,000 fund to compensate other mothers if they come forward to show they too were discriminated against.
It’s illegal for a bank or mortgage company to deny a mother a home loan, to delay her loan, or to require a co-signer for the following reasons:
- She is pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- She is on maternity leave or is on short-term disability leave
It’s illegal for a landlord to refuse to rent to a parent for the following reasons:
- She is pregnant
- He or she has a baby, child or teenagers (Or has “too many children.”)
- He or she has a disabled or special needs child
- The apartment has lead-based paint (Landlords are responsible for lead abatement before an apartment is put up for rent.)
Get Help
In Massachusetts the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) is the state agency charged with enforcing the Massachusetts Fair Housing Act.
National organizations:
-Adapted from “It’s (still) illegal and unacceptable” e-mail, MomsRising.org, June 08, 2011 1:16 and http://www.momsrising.org/page/moms/housing-discrimination-against-mothers-is-illegal-and-unacceptable-?akid=2778.279201.LERdNq&rd=1&t=7
6/11