Insurance

FAIR HOUSING AND HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE

Discrimination can happen during the search for housing, such as applying for an apartment, buying a home, or obtaining insurance for their home. The result is that a person is excluded from living where they choose to and must look in a less desired location or may lose out on housing opportunities altogether. Discrimination in homeowner’s insurance can occur because of characteristics such as race, national origin, or disability. It can include practices that directly discriminate or policies that have a disparate impact based on a protected class.

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WHAT DOES HOMEOWNER INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION LOOK LIKE?

• Refusing to offer an insurance policy based on a potential purchaser’s protected characteristic such as race or national origin

• Quoting a higher price to a homebuyer or renter because of the potential purchaser-protected characteristic

• Not returning someone’s calls for information

• Offering different products or discounts to households because of protected characteristics

• Making assumptions about what levels of coverage a household might need because of their protected characteristic such as assuming a family would need a lower amount of personal property coverage because of their race

• Charging higher liability insurance for a housing provider because of the race, national origin, or source of income of their tenants

• Steering prospective tenants or purchasers to certain insurance products based on any protected characteristics

• Offering inferior insurance products or levels of coverage due to the racial or ethnic makeup of the neighborhood the home is located in

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If you believe you have been the victim of homeowners insurance discrimination, please contact us for assistance.

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