[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Steelton 9-18-1978 by Ord. No. 78-5, approved 9-25-1978. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
The opportunity for an individual to obtain
facilities of housing without discrimination because of race, color,
religious creed, ancestry, use of guide dogs because of blindness
of the user, age, sex or national origin is hereby recognized as and
declared to be the public policy of the Borough of Steelton, which
shall be enforceable as set forth in this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated, unless a different meaning appears
from the context:
Housing accommodations held or offered for sale or rent by
a real estate broker, salesman or agent or by any other person pursuant
to authorization of the owner; by the owner himself; or by legal representatives,
but shall not include any personal residence offered for rent by the
owner or by his broker, salesman, agent or employee.
Any building or structure or portion thereof which is used
or occupied or is intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied
as the home residence or sleeping place of one or more individuals,
groups or families, whether or not living independently of each other;
and any vacant land offered for sale or lease for commercial housing.
One or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations,
corporations, legal representatives, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.
The term also includes, but is not limited to, any owner, lessor,
assignor, builder, manager, broker, salesman, agent, employee and
lending institution.
A building or structure containing living quarters occupied
or intended to be occupied by no more than two individuals, two groups
or two families living independently of each other and used by the
owner thereof as a bona fide residence for himself and any members
of his family forming his household, when referring to housing accommodations
held or offered for rent.
A building or structure containing living quarters occupied
or intended to be occupied by no more than two individuals, two groups
or two families living independently of each other and used by the
owner thereof as a bona fide residence for himself and any members
of his family forming his household, when referring to housing accommodations
held or offered for sale.
No person shall:
A.
Refuse to sell, lease, finance or otherwise deny or
withhold commercial housing from any person because of the race, color,
religious creed, ancestry, sex or national origin of any prospective
owner, occupant or user of such commercial housing or refuse to lease
commercial housing to any person due to use of a guide dog because
of the blindness of the user.
B.
Refuse to lend money, whether or not secured by mortgage
or otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair
or maintenance of commercial housing or otherwise withhold financing
of commercial housing from any person because of the race, color,
religious creed, ancestry, sex or national origin of any present or
prospective owner, occupant or user of such commercial housing.
C.
Discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions
of selling or leasing any commercial housing or in furnishing facilities,
services or privileges in connection with the ownership, occupancy
or use of any commercial housing because of the race, color, religious
creed, ancestry, sex or national origin of any present or prospective
owner, occupant or user of such commercial housing; or discriminate
against any person in the terms of leasing any commercial housing
or in furnishing facilities, services or privileges in connection
with the occupancy or use of any commercial housing due to use of
a guide dog because of the blindness of the user.
D.
Discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions
of any loan of money, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise,
for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance
of commercial housing because of the race, color, religious creed,
ancestry, sex or national origin of any present or prospective owner,
occupant or user of such commercial housing.
E.
Print, publish or circulate any statement or advertisement
relating to the sale, lease or acquisition of any commercial housing
or the loan of money, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise,
for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance
of commercial housing which indicates any preference, limitation,
specification or discrimination based upon race, color, religious
creed, ancestry, sex or national origin; or print, publish or circulate
any statement or advertisement relating to the lease of any commercial
dwelling which indicates any preference, limitation, specification
or discrimination based upon use of a guide dog because of the blindness
of the user.
F.
Make any inquiry, elicit any information, make or
keep any record or use any form of application containing questions
or entries concerning race, color, religious creed, ancestry, sex
or national origin in connection with the sale or lease of any commercial
housing or loan of any money, whether or not secured by mortgage or
otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair
or maintenance of commercial housing; to make any inquiry, elicit
any information, make or keep any record or use any formal application
containing questions or entries concerning the use of a guide dog
because of the blindness of the user in connection with the lease
of any commercial housing.
A.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this
chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine
of not more than $300 and costs of prosecution and, in default of
payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment for not more than
30 days.
B.
In addition to the penalties set forth in Subsection A above, either the Borough of Steelton or any person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged occurrence of an act prohibited by this chapter may apply for an order in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with or to restrain any violation of any provision of this chapter or to secure a temporary injunction or restraining order to prevent the rental or sale of the housing accommodations in violation of this chapter.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part of
this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance
shall, for any reason, be adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction
to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate
the remainder of this chapter nor the application of such clause,
sentence, paragraph or part to other persons or circumstances, but
shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph
or part thereof and to the persons or circumstances directly involved
in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
It is hereby declared to be the intent that this chapter would have
been adopted had such provisions not been included or such persons
or circumstances been expressly excluded from their coverage.
