[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Meriden 5-1-1978. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Equal opportunities — See Ch. 101.
The purpose of this chapter is to affirmatively
provide for fair housing and equal opportunity for every local citizen
without regard to race, color, national origin, sex or religion, and
further to provide equal opportunity to all of the citizens of Meriden
in accordance with the requirements of all federal and state laws
and executive orders related to housing.
This chapter is consistent with and meets the
requirements and objectives of the United States Constitution, Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VIII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1968, Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974, Executive Order 11063 and any other applicable federal
or state laws relative to equal opportunity in housing.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The practice of inducing owners of real property to sell
or list real property for sale because of the actual or rumored advent
into a neighborhood of a member of a racial, religious or ethnic group.
Any real property permitted for human habitation within the
City.
Any bank, insurance company, savings and loan association
or any other person regularly engaged in the business of lending money
or guaranteeing loans.
Includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations,
corporations, organizations, legal representatives, employees, agents,
anyone acting for or on behalf of any person or other legal entities.
Real estate, lands, tenements and/or hereditaments.
Includes those unlawful practices and acts specified herein.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person:
(1)
To refuse to sell, rent, lease, assign or sublease
or otherwise deny any housing accommodation to any person or persons
because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry,
ethnic origin, sex or marital status.
(2)
To refuse to negotiate for the sale, rent, lease,
assignment or sublease of any housing accommodation to any person
or persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin,
ancestry, ethnic origin, sex or marital status.
(3)
To represent that any housing accommodation is not
available for inspection, sale, lease, sublease, assignment or rent
or to withhold information about any housing accommodation which is,
in fact, available for inspection, sale, lease, sublease, rent or
assignment or to otherwise deny or withhold any housing accommodation
to any person or persons because of race, color, religion, creed,
national origin, ancestry, ethnic origin, sex or marital status.
(4)
To discriminate against any person or persons because
of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnic
origin, sex or marital status in the terms, conditions or privileges
of the sale, rental, lease, assignment or sublease of any housing
accommodation.
(5)
To directly or indirectly advertise that the purchase
or rental by persons of any particular race, color, religion, creed,
national origin, ancestry, ethnic origin, sex or marital status is
unwelcome, objectionable, unacceptable or not solicited.
(6)
To use any form of application for purchase, rental,
lease, assignment, sublease or financing of any housing accommodation
which inquires into the race, color, religion, creed, national origin,
ancestry or ethnic origin of any person.
(7)
To engage in the practice of blockbusting, including
but not limited to the following:
(a)
To induce, directly or indirectly, or attempt
to induce, directly or indirectly, the sale or listing for sale of
real property by representing that an adverse change has occurred
or will or may occur with respect to the racial, religious or ethnic
composition of the block, neighborhood or area in which the property
is located.
(b)
To induce, directly or indirectly, or attempt
to induce, directly or indirectly, the sale or listing for sale of
real property by representing that the presence or anticipated presence
of persons of any particular race, religion or national origin in
the area will or may result in:
(c)
To make any misrepresentations concerning the
listing for sale or the anticipated listing for sale or the sale of
real property in the area for the purpose of inducing or attempting
to induce the sale or listing for sale of real property.
(d)
To make any representation to any prospective
purchaser that any block, neighborhood or area has, will or might
undergo an adverse change with respect to the religious, racial or
ethnic composition of the block, neighborhood or area for the purpose
of discouraging the purchase of property in a particular area.
(e)
To place a sign purporting to offer for sale
any property that is not in fact offered for sale.
(f)
To advertise for sale or rental property which
is nonexistent or which is not actually for sale or rental.
(g)
To engage in or hire or conspire with others
to commit acts or activities of any nature, the purpose of which is
to coerce, cause panic, incite unrest or create or play upon fear
with the purpose of inducing or attempting to induce the sale or listing
for sale of real property.
(h)
To engage in any economic reprisal or any other
form of intimidation against any person because that person has filed
a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in any manner in
any investigation, proceeding or conference under the terms of this
chapter.
(i)
To aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce any person
to engage in any of the practices forbidden by this chapter or to
obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions
of this chapter.
B.
No person, bank or lending institution shall discriminate
against any applicant because of the race, color, religion, creed,
national origin, ancestry, ethnic origin, sex or marital status of
such applicant or the prospective occupants or tenants of such housing
accommodation in the granting, extending or renewing the rates, terms
or conditions of any such loan.
[Amended 9-15-1980; 1-21-1997]
The Human Rights Advocate shall be responsible
for the enforcement of this chapter.
