Disability Discrimination Tops Housing Complaints

HUD has released its first report on the state of fair housing in America. HUD's Fiscal Year 2009 annual State of Fair Housing Report highlights the agency's progress in enforcing the Fair Housing Act (FHA), identifies challenges that remain, and demonstrates its commitment to end housing discrimination. The key findings include:

• HUD and the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agencies received 10,242 complaints alleging a violation of the FHA. This was the fourth consecutive year that the number of housing discrimination complaints exceeded 10,000.

• The most common basis of complaints was disability, which was alleged in 44 percent of complaints filed. The second most common basis of complaints was race (31 percent), followed by familial status (20 percent).

• The most common issue in complaints was discrimination in the terms or conditions of the sale or rental of property, which was alleged in 55 percent of complaints, followed by refusal to rent (24 percent), and failure to make a reasonable accommodation to allow a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling (22 percent).