Fair Housing Act

Welcome to Lawshelf’s video course on the Fair Housing Act. This course focuses on that Act, which prohibits and punishes discrimination and unfair housing practices in many contexts.

This is an intermediate level course and it is recommended that the student come into the course with some background in property law or in civil rights law. There are LawShelf courses in both areas that the student may want to refer to.

The course starts with a discussion of the Fair Housing Act and its history and structure. We’ll look at the classes protected by the FHA and how they differ between federal law and the laws of various states and cities. We’ll also look at the application of the Act to states and local governments and discuss the mechanisms by which the FHA is enforced.

Module 2 looks at the application of the Fair Housing Act to rentals. We’ll look at case examples of discriminatory rental terms and advertising. We’ll also look at exemptions – that is, appropriate grounds for “discrimination,” such as tenant behavior. We’ll also look at how the Department of Housing and Urban Development enforces these rules.

Module 3 looks at the application of the Fair Housing Act to real estate sales. We’ll look at once-common practices such as steering and blockbusting that are now prohibited by the FHA. We’ll also look at the application of the FHA to mortgage and lending practices.

Modules 4 and 5 look at the application of the FHA to various bases for discrimination. These include discrimination based on race gender, religion, disability, family status and sexual orientation. We’ll discuss each of these in turn, including the tactics and legal nuances relevant to each type of discrimination.

After completing this course, we hope that you will have a comprehensive understanding of the framework under which housing discrimination is outlawed, discouraged and punished, and of the federal agencies involved in enforcement of housing discrimination rules.

Best of luck and we welcome your feedback.