Definitions of terms used in Title VIII, the Federal Fair Housing Act

An aggrieved person is any person who:

1. claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice; or
2. 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:

1. a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities,
2. a record of having such an impairment, or
3. being regarded as having such an impairment, 
4. 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:

1. a parent or another person having legal custody of such individual or individuals; or
2. 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.