Fair Housing Lawyer
The Fair Housing Act was enacted in 1968 with the goal of eliminating discrimination in home sales and rental housing. The Fair Housing Act was amended in 1988 to prohibit discrimination in the rental and sale of multifamily dwellings, such as apartments, on the basis of a handicap and to expand private enforcement. 42 U.S.C Section 3601(f)(1) et seq. The FHA defines discrimination to include the refusal to permit reasonable modifications to accommodate a disability. Discrimination also includes a failure to design and construct apartments with certain minimum accessible features. Those required accessible features include accessible public and common areas, routes, doorways, switches, environmental controls, as well as kitchens and bathrooms. Lawsuits by private attorneys general are the primary means of enforcement of the FHA, including the design and construction requirements.
The seven protected classes on a federal level are:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex
- National origin
- Familial status
- Handicap.
Eric Calhoun has substantial experience in federal lawsuits to enforce the design and construction requirements of the FHA. Mr. Calhoun has successfully prosecuted numerous lawsuits in Texas, Tennessee, Indiana and other federal courts enforcing the design and construction requirements of the FHA.