HOW CLEAR IS THE LAW ON DISABLED RIGHTS?
Fair Housing Laws in Washington
Related pages: Referrals
Do you live outside
Washington State?
Try the Tenant Resource Directory
Discrimination is a tool often used by those who
benefit from existing social structures to maintain
and reinforce the status quo. People have organized
against this subtle and not-so-subtle form of control
for decades.
Governments have responded to those reform efforts by
setting up agencies that are charged with the
enforcement of these laws and ordinances. Generally,
the closer the agency is to you, and the closer you
are to an urban area, the stricter these
anti-discrimination laws are.
If you feel you have been discriminated against, you
may call one of these government agencies (see table)
and ask that there be an investigation. If enough
evidence is found that illegal discrimination did
occur, and the defendant does not change their
behavior and/or make an acceptable settlement offer,
the agency is charged with seeking civil and/or
criminal damages on your behalf. Another effective
option is to hire an attorney to pursue the case.
Retaining a private attorney, however, can be
extremely expensive.
The law does not always clearly state what sort of
protections one may have from discrimination. For
instance the federal law barring bias due to familial
status has been interpreted to mean it is no longer
legal to discriminate against persons because they
have children. Also, the Washington state law
preventing discrimination due to the presence of a
disability also protects the privacy of one's HIV
status. For more information, consult one of the
specific agencies listed.
To ensure a conviction, or have a reasonable chance at
a successful settlement, there must be very clear
evidence. The burden of proof usually falls upon the
person filing the complaint. Tenants have found that
clear documentation and a certain amount of creativity
greatly enhance the probability of a successful case.
For instance, when a landlord refuses to rent a two
bedroom apartment to a single mother with two
children, a call a day later from a friend to the same
landlord on behalf of three adults with the same
economic situation as the mother will often times
produce compelling evidence.
Finally, and frequently most frustrating, it is legal
for landlords to discriminate for any reason other
than the items listed in the table below. It is legal
for a landlord to discriminate against a person with
blue shoes. It is also legal for landlords to
discriminate on the basis of financial status, bad (or
no) credit, former or current homelessness, and so on.
Unfortunately, class or economic bias is rewarded in
societies where a small number of people control the
housing stock.
Fair Housing: areas and protected classes
Area: Protected classes: Enforcement Agency:
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City of Seattle
race
color
ancestry
national origin
creed
religion
political ideology
age
marital status
sexual orientation
sensory, mental, or physical disabilities
parental status
participation in Section 8 program
Seattle Office for Civil Rights
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unincorporated King County
race
color
national origin
religion
age
sex
marital status
parental status
participation in the Section 8 program
sexual orientation
disability
use of guide dog
King County Office of Civil Rights Enforcement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State of Washington
race
color
national origin
creed
sex
marital status
disability
use of guide dog
Washington State Human Rights Commission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States
race
color
religion
sex
familial status
national origin
disability
HUD Fair Housing Enforcement Center
(206)220-5172
TDD: 1-800-927-9275
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