In both Tennessee and California, pregnant mothers have suffered the pain of discrimination when they weren't allowed to take out a mortgage. Both women were on maternity leave when they applied for a mortgage and were denied. They wouldn't take no for an answer, and took the issue to court. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development got involved, and has announced discrimination settlements as a part of the annual Fair Housing Month commemoration kick-off.
The Fair Housing Act explicitly states that there can be no discrimination based on a person's gender or family status when it comes to lending, sales, or rental transactions. In addition, the Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination because of race, color, nationality, religion, or disability. The HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity spoke up about this situation, saying that it is against the law to deny a mortgage loan to a woman because she is pregnant or on paid maternity leave. He added that women should never have to choose between buying or refinancing a home or starting a family. The HUD has committed to protecting pregnant mothers who are denied mortgages based on their condition.
In Nashville, Tennessee Magna Bank will need to pay one pregnant woman $14,085 because of the difficulties that they caused her. The soon-to-be mother was pressed to return to work in her condition so that her application would be approved. The other woman will be given $15,000 by the Home Loan Center. The Center refused her application to refinance her mortgage based on the fact that she was on maternity leave. With things straightened out, the HUD will begin celebrating Fair Housing Month with a kick-off to commemorate the installment of the Act in 1968. This anti-discrimination law was created one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and prohibits discrimination.
20 years after the Fair Housing Act was put into practice, it was amended to include discrimination based on family status. This amendment provides protection to pregnant women who are applying for a loan. To further publicize a woman's rights while pregnant, the HUN will be televising public service announcements focusing on this type of discrimination. They will also print these announcements and talk about the attitudes against women on maternity leave, families with children, and veterans with disabilities. Many magazines this month will feature spreads about these serious issues.
Last Wednesday, the HUD conducted a National Fair Housing Outreach Day to educate the school system and families with school age children about their rights under the Fair Housing Act. They want to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and affordable homes for all through eradicating any sort of discrimination. Anyone who believes that their rights as a homeowner or renter have been violated because of discrimination should get in contact with a lawyer and fight for justice. The HUD will back cases of obvious discrimination in order to uphold the Fair Housing Act, and champion your compensation.
The HUD wants you to notify them when you are treated unfairly, so that the can purge the housing industry of this illegal activity. They will right the wrongs of mortgage companies, real estate businesses, or home companies in order to give you the fairness that you deserve. The HUD is working hard to meet the need for quality, affordable rental homes and utilize housing as a way to improve the general quality of life in America. They are also working to build inclusive and sustainable communities with no discrimination, and transform the way that mortgage companies do business. Present your case to a lawyer today and contact the HUD to see what can be done about the discrimination that was set against you.