March 2016 Coach's Quiz

We’ve given you 37 tips to avoid fair housing trouble at your community. Now let’s look at how the rules might apply in the real world. Take the Coach’s Quiz to see what you have learned.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each of the following questions has only one correct answer. On a separate piece of paper, write down the number of each question, followed by the answer you think is correct—for example, (1) b, (2)a, and so on. The correct answers (with explanations) follow the quiz. Good luck!

QUESTION #1

Federal fair housing law bans housing discrimination based on (list all that apply):

a.   Race

b.   Color.

c.   Sex.

d.   Age.

e.   Familial status.

f.   Sexual orientation.

g.   Religion.

h.   Disability.

i.   National origin.

k.   Marital status.

QUESTION #2

Your staff is shorthanded, so you hire someone to answer the phones. Although she has prior experience working in a leasing office nearby, you should provide her with fair housing training before she starts work. True or false?

a.   True.

b.   False.

QUESTION #3

Because of safety concerns about falls from balconies, you can restrict families with children to ground-floor units without violating fair housing law. True or false?

a.   True.

b.   False.

QUESTION #4

Your community could be sued by a resident for sexual harassment by an outside contractor, even if she didn’t report it before filing the suit against you. True or false?

a.   True.

b.   False.

COACH’S ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS

QUESTION #1

Correct answers: a, b, c, e, g, h, i

Reason: Tips #1 & #9 apply here:

     Tip #1: Adopt a Fair Housing Policy

     Tip #9: Include State and Local Fair Housing Requirements

Federal fair housing law bans discrimination based on seven protected characteristics—race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. But some state, county, and municipal governments also ban discrimination based on marital status, age, and sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics. 

QUESTION #2

Correct answer: a

Reason: Tip #4 applies here:

     Tip #4: Require Immediate Training for New Hires

Even with previous experience at a community in your local area, your new employee may not be familiar with your community’s fair housing policies and practices, so you should provide her with fair housing training before she starts answering the phones or otherwise interacting with the public.

QUESTION #3

Correct answer: b

Reason: Tip #22 applies here:

     Tip #22: Prevent Unlawful Steering

You must find another way to allay safety concerns about falls from balconies, because your community could be accused of unlawful steering if you limit the housing choices of families with children by restricting them to ground-floor units.

QUESTION #4

Correct answer: a

Reason: Tips #6 & #33 apply here:

     Tip #6: Supervise Vendors and Contractors

     Tip #33: Take Steps to Prevent Harassment

Depending on the circumstances, a community could be sued by a resident who was sexually harassed by an outside contractor if the community knew or should have known about his misconduct but didn’t do anything to stop it. If you received complaints from other residents about sexual harassment by the contractor, she could argue that your community should have known about his misconduct and failed to take effective action to remedy the situation—even if she never reported it herself before filing suit.