The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it has approved two Conciliation Agreements with Delap Realty, LLC, of Northampton, Mass., resolving allegations that the company and its agents violated the Fair Housing Act by discouraging families with children from renting over concerns the units might contain lead-based paint hazards.
The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to deny or limit housing because a family has children under the age of 18 and to make statements that discriminate against families with children. Housing may exclude children only if it meets the Fair Housing Act’s exemption for housing for older persons.
“Families with children have a right to the same housing choices as other families,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in a press release. “We are pleased that these agreements will help more families to be informed about the Fair Housing Act and their right to live in a healthy home.”
The settlement agreements are the result of complaints filed with the Department by the Housing Discrimination Project, Inc., a HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program agency, alleging that when prospective renters responded to online ads placed by Delap, its agents discouraged families with children from applying.
Under the agreements, Delap and the other respondents will pay $9,500 to Housing Discrimination Project (HDP) and develop a public service campaign on three English- and Spanish-language radio stations in coordination with HDP. Delap Realty also agreed to fund a three-week series of newspaper announcements in two local newspapers, including a Spanish-language newspaper, highlighting the fact that refusing to rent to families with children because of the possible presence of lead paint is an act of discrimination that violates the Fair Housing Act.