Rhode Island Legal Services
56 Pine Street, Fourth Floor
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 274-2652
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Definitions of terms used in Title VIII,
the Federal Fair Housing Act
An aggrieved person
is any person who:
- claims to have been injured by a discriminatory
housing practice; or
- believes he or she will be injured by a discriminatory housing
practice that is about to occur.
Blockbusting for profit
means inducing or attempting to induce any person to sell or
rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or
prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons
of a particular race, color, nationality, disability, familial
status, sex or religion.
Conciliation means the attempted resolution of issues
raised by complaint, or by the investigation of such complaint,
through informal negotiations involving the aggrieved person,
the respondent, and HUD.
Difference in treatment.
If a person is treated differently in a housing related transaction
because of his/her membership in a protected class, it is illegal.
Disability or handicap under
the law defines the protection with respect to:
- a physical or mental impairment which substantially
limits one or more of such person's major life activities,
- a record of having such an impairment, or
- being regarded as having such an impairment,
- but such term does not include current illegal use of or addiction
to a controlled substance.
Disparate impact.
If a policy, procedure or act is discriminatory on its face
or applied in a discriminatory manner, it constitutes intentional
discrimination which is illegal. The disparate impact rule extends
the definition of illegal discrimination. If policies (which
excludes a single incidence), procedures or acts in housing
related transactions that are applied to everyone
generally have a significantly greater discriminatory impact
on members of a protected class, they too are illegal.
Dwelling means any building, structure, or portion thereof
which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy
as, a residence by one or more families, and any vacant land
which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location
thereon of any such building, structure, or portion thereof.
Family is
a category not defined solely by marriage (see "Familial Status").
Familial status
means one or more individuals (who have not attained the age
of 18 years) living with:
- a parent or another person having legal custody
of such individual or individuals; or
- the designee of such parent or other person having such custody,
with the written permission f such parent or other person.
The protection afforded against discrimination
on the basis of familial status shall apply to any person who
is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of
any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years.
Illegal housing discrimination
is defined by federal law as preventing equal access to housing
(in housing sales or rentals, or in housing lending and insurance)
on the basis of a person's race, color, national origin, familial
status, disability, sex or religion.
Under the law in the State of Rhode Island,
illegal housing discrimination
is defined as preventing equal access to housing (in housing
sales or rentals, or in housing lending and insurance) on the
basis of a person's race, color, national origin, familial status,
sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marital status,
age, ancestry, or source of income.
Steering
is defined as directing prospective home buyers interested in
equivalent properties to different areas according to their
race.
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