(a)
It is
hereby declared to be the policy of the city to bring about through
fair, orderly and lawful procedures, the opportunity of each person
to obtain housing without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial status.
(b)
It is
further declared that such policy is established upon a recognition
of the inalienable rights of each individual to obtain housing without
regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or
mental handicap, or familial status and further that the denial of
such rights through considerations based on these protected classes
is detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants
of the city and constitutes an unjust denial or deprivation of such
inalienable rights which is within the power and the proper responsibility
of government to prevent.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
As used in this article the following words and phrases shall
have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section unless
the context requires otherwise:
The director of the human relations department or authorized
assistant.
An act which is unlawful under this article.
Any building, structure or portion thereof which is occupied
as, or designed and intended for occupancy as, a residence by one
or more persons and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease
for the construction or location thereof of any such building, structure
or portion thereof.
A single individual or a group of individuals living together
under one common roof.
Functions such as, but not limited to, caring for one’s
self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
breathing, learning and working.
One or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations,
labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint
stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees
in bankruptcy, receivers and fiduciaries.
Any physical or mental impairment which substantially limits
one or more major life activities.
Shall include:
Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement
or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems:
neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory including
speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genitourinary;
hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or
Any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation,
organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific
learning disabilities.
Includes to lease, to sublease, to let and otherwise to grant
for a consideration the right to occupy premises not owned by the
occupant.
A person fifty-five (55) years of age or older.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
This article shall in no way be interpreted as creating a judicial
right or remedy which is the same or substantially equivalent to the
remedies provided under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968,
as amended or the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C.
1691). All aggrieved parties shall retain the rights granted to them
to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended and the
Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. In construing this article,
it is the intent of the city council that the courts shall be guided
by Federal Court Interpretations of Title VIII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1968, as amended, and the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity
Act, where appropriate.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
Except as exempted by it shall be unlawful:
(1)
To refuse
to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer or to refuse
to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable
or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial status.
(2)
To discriminate
against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of a sale
or rental of a dwelling or in the provision of services or facilities
in connection therewith because of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial status.
(3)
To make,
print or publish or cause to be made, printed or published, any notice,
statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a
dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation of discrimination
based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or
mental handicap, or familial status, or an intention to make any such
preference, limitation or discrimination.
(4)
To represent
to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
physical or mental handicap, or familial status, that any dwelling
is not available for inspection, sale or rental when such dwelling
is in fact so available.
(5)
To induce
or attempt 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, religion, sex, national
origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial status.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
It shall be unlawful for any bank, building and loan association,
insurance company, or other person whose business consists in whole
or in part in the making of commercial real estate loans to deny a
loan or other financial assistance to a person applying therefor for
the purpose of purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining
a dwelling or to discriminate against him in the fixing of the amount,
interest rate, duration or other terms or conditions of such loan
or other financial assistance because of the race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial status
of such person or such persons associated therewith or because of
the race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental
handicap, or familial status, of the present or prospective owners,
lessees, tenants or occupants of the dwelling or dwellings for which
such loan or other financial assistance is to be made or given.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
It shall be unlawful for any person to deny another person access
to membership in, or participation in any multiple listing service,
real estate brokers’ organization, or other service, organization
or facility relating to the business of selling and renting dwellings
or to discriminate against another person in the terms or conditions
of such access, membership or participation, on account of race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap, or familial
status.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
It shall be unlawful for any person to harass, threaten, harm,
damage or otherwise penalize any individual, group or business because
such individual, group, or business has complied with the provisions
of this article or has exercised in good faith rights under this article,
or has enjoyed the benefits of this article, or because such individual,
group, or business has made a charge in good faith, testified in good
faith or assisted in good faith in any manner in any investigation,
or in any proceeding hereunder or has made any report to the director.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
(a)
Nothing
in this article shall apply to:
(1)
Any
single-family house sold or rented by an owner, provided that:
(A)
Such private individual owner does not own more than three (3) single-family
houses at any one time;
(B)
If the owner does not reside in the house at the time of the sale
or was not the most recent resident of such house prior to the sale,
the exemption granted by this subsection shall apply only with respect
to one such sale within any twenty-four (24) month period;
(C)
Such bona fide private individual owner does not own any interest
in, nor is there owned or reserved on such person’s behalf,
under any express voluntary agreement, title to or any right to all
or any portion of the proceeds from the sale or rental of more than
three (3) such single-family houses at any one time;
(D)
The sale or rental is made without the use in any manner of the sales
or rental facilities or the sales or rental services of any real estate
broker, agent or salesman, or of such facilities or services of any
person in the business of selling or renting dwellings, or of any
employee or agent of any such broker, agent, salesman, or person;
and
(E)
The sale or rental is made without the publication, posting or mailing
of any advertisement or written notice in violation of this article;
but nothing in this provision shall prohibit the use of attorneys,
escrow agents, abstractors, title companies and other such professional
assistance as necessary to perfect or transfer the title.
(2)
Rooms
or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended
to be occupied by no more than four (4) families living independently
of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of
such living quarters as his residence.
(b)
For the purposes of subsection (a), a person shall be deemed to be in the business of selling or renting dwellings if:
(1)
He
has, within the preceding twelve (12) months, participated as principal
in three (3) or more transactions involving the sale or rental of
any dwelling or any interest therein;
(2)
He
has, within the preceding twelve (12) months, participated as agent,
other than in the sale of his own personal residence in providing
sales or rental facilities or sales or rental services in two (2)
or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any dwelling
or any interest therein; or
(3)
He
is the owner of any dwelling designed or intended for occupancy by,
or occupied by, five (5) or more families.
(c)
Nothing
in this article shall prohibit a religious organization, association
or society or a nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised
or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization,
association or society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy
of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial
purpose to person of the same religion or from giving preference to
such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on
account of race, color, sex, national origin, physical or mental handicap,
or familial status.
(d)
Nothing
in this article shall prohibit a private club not in fact open to
the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes
provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial
purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to
its members, or from giving preference to its members.
(e)
Nothing
in this article shall bar any person from owning and operating a housing
accommodation in which rooms are leased, subleased or rented only
to persons of the same sex, when such housing accommodation contains
common lavatory, kitchen or similar facilities available for the use
of all persons occupying such housing accommodation.
(f)
Nothing
in this article shall prohibit the sale, rental, lease or occupancy
of any dwelling designed and operated exclusively for senior adults
and their spouses, unless the sale, rental, lease or occupancy is
further restricted on account of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, physical or mental handicap or familial status.
(g)
Nothing
in this article shall bar a person who owns, operates or controls
rental dwellings whether located on the same property or on one or
more contiguous parcels of property, from reserving any grouping of
dwellings for the rental or lease to tenants with a minor child or
children; provided however, in the event that said reserved area is
completely leased or rented, the person owning, operating or controlling
said rental dwelling may not refuse to rent or lease any other available
dwelling to the prospective tenant on the basis of the tenant’s
status as parent or any other of the protected classifications set
forth in this article.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
No person shall violate any provision of this article, or knowingly
obstruct or prevent compliance with this article.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
The director of the human relations department shall have the
responsibility of administering and implementing this article. The
director may delegate the authority to investigate and conciliate
complaints to other designated city employees.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
(a)
Any
person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing
practice or who believes that he will be irrevocably injured by a
discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur (hereinafter
referred to as the “charging party”) may file a complaint
with the director. Such complaints shall be in writing and shall identify
the person alleged to have committed or alleged to be committing a
discriminatory housing practice and shall state the facts upon which
the allegations of a discriminatory housing practice are based. The
director shall prepare complaint forms and furnish them without charge
to any person, upon request.
(b)
The director shall receive and accept notification and referral complaints from the U.S. Attorney General and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to the provisions of Title VIII, Fair Housing Act of 1968, Public Law 90-284, and shall treat such complaints hereunder in the same manner as complaints filed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(c)
All
complaints shall be filed within one hundred eighty (180) days following
the occurrence of an alleged discriminatory housing practice. Upon
the filing or referral of any complaint, the director shall provide
notice of the complaint by furnishing a copy of such complaint to
the person named therein (hereinafter referred to as the “respondent”)
who allegedly committed or were threatening to commit an alleged discriminatory
housing practice. The respondent may file an answer to the complaint
within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the written complaint.
(d)
All
complaints and answers shall be subscribed and sworn to before an
officer authorized to administer oaths.
(e)
If at
any time the director shall receive or discover credible evidence
and shall have probable cause to believe that any person or persons
have committed a discriminatory housing practice as to which no complaint
has been filed or is about to be filed, the director may prepare and
file a complaint upon his own motion and in his own name and such
complaint shall thereafter be treated in the same manner as a complaint
filed by a person aggrieved.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
(a)
Upon
the filing or referral of a complaint as herein provided, the director
shall cause to be made a prompt and full investigation of the matter
stated in the complaint; provided, however, that before any charge
becomes accepted for investigative purposes, the director or an investigator
shall have personally reviewed with the charging party the allegations
contained therein and shall have determined that said charge comes
within the provisions of this article. In the event such review results
in the determination that a particular charge does not come within
the provisions of this article, the charging party shall be given
a clear and concise explanation of the reasons why it does not.
(b)
If the
director determines that there is not probable cause to believe that
a particular alleged discriminatory housing practice has been committed,
the director shall take no further action with respect to that alleged
offense.
(c)
During
or after the investigation, but subsequent to the mailing of the notice
of compliant, the director shall, if it appears that a discriminatory
housing practice has occurred or is threatening to occur, attempt
by informal endeavors to effect conciliation, including voluntary
discontinuance of the discriminatory housing practice and to obtain
adequate assurance of future voluntary compliance with provisions
of this article. Nothing said or done in the course of such informal
endeavors may be made public by the director, the commission, the
investigator, the conciliator, the charging party, or the respondent,
or be used as evidence in a subsequent proceeding without the written
consent of all persons concerned.
(d)
Upon
completion of an investigation where the director has made a determination
that a discriminatory housing practice has in fact occurred, if the
director is unable to secure from the respondent an acceptable conciliation
agreement, then the human relations commission of the city must, upon
a majority vote, refer the case to the city attorney for prosecution
in municipal court or to other agencies as appropriate. With such
recommendation of the director and the referral of the human relations
commission, the director shall refer his entire file to the city attorney.
The city attorney shall, after such referral, make a determination
as to whether to proceed with prosecution of such complaint in municipal
court.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
If a discriminatory housing practice is found to have in fact
occurred and the case has been referred to municipal court, the respondent
shall be assessed a penalty of $300.00 per violation.
(Ordinance 180-07 adopted 4/9/07)
