Fair Housing and Anti-Discrimination Laws

The Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing against any person because of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability or handicap, familial or marital status, or national origin. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that all programs receiving federal funding, whether they are services, activities, or housing, be accessible to persons with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation

The Housing Authority of Maricopa County fully endorses and supports all Fair Housing laws. Our nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to or treatment or employment in HAMC’s facilities, programs, services and activities.

If you think your rights have been violated you should file a housing discrimination complaint. You should submit a complaint form or write a letter containing the following information: your name and address, contact information, the name of the person or company your complaint is about, the date of occurrence and a short description of the circumstances or incident (for example, what happened and the address of the house or apartment you were trying to rent). Do this as soon as possible because there are time limitations for complaints. There is no cost to file a charge.

HAMC has designated Janet Belfield as our Fair Housing Advocate for matters relating to complaints of housing discrimination, accessibility issues or any violation of local, state and federal fair housing statutes in HAMC properties or by landlords working with HAMC.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any way, contact Janet at 602-744-4537 or by email at j.belfield@maricopahousing.org .

Another excellent source of information on Housing-related discrimination is HUD's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) page, available here. You can also file a complaint with any of these authorities:

  • Arizona Attorney General’s Office (Website) - 1275 West Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. Phone: 602.542.5025 (the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office investigates housing discrimination complaints in Maricopa County)
  • Regional Office of FHEO, US Department of Housing and Urban Development - 600 Harrison Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, California 94107-1387. Phones: (415) 489-6524, 1-800-347-3739 and TTY (415) 436-6594 (This HUD office handles complaints for Arizona)
  • Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (Website) , Department of Housing and Urban Development - 451 Seventh St. SW - Room 5204 , Washington, DC 20410-2000. (An online Housing Discrimination Complaint form and additional information are available here)

The following pamphlets, available online, provide additional information:


Fair Housing: It's your right - HUD brochure describing the law and complaint process

Are you a Victim of Housing Discrimination? - HUD brochure explaining discrimination

Arizona Attorney General's Housing Discrimination: Get the Facts brochure

Fair Housing Rules at a glance...

In the sale or rental of housing property, the following are prohibited:
  • Refuse to rent or sell housing or even refuse to negotiate for housing
  • Make housing unavailable or deny a dwelling
  • Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a property
  • Provide different housing services or facilities
  • Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale, or rental
  • Advertise or make a statement that indicates a preference for certain types of people.
  • Pressure owners to sell or rent for the purpose of manipulating housing prices (blockbusting)
  • Deny access to a facility or service (such as MLS) related to the sale or rental of housing.
In Mortgage Lending and loan negociation, the following practices are also prohibited:
  • Refusal to make a mortgage loan or even to provide information regarding loans
  • Impose different terms on a loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees
  • Discriminate in appraising property
  • Refuse to purchase a loan or set different terms or conditions for purchasing a loan.
Federal laws also make it illegal to intimidate or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right or assisting others who exercise that right. Severe penalties are mandated for those found guilty of infringing Fair Housing laws.