National Origin

Immigration & Refugee Status

FAIR HOUSING AND NATIONAL ORIGIN, IMMIGRATION, & REFUGEE STATUS

In the U.S., local, state and federal fair housing laws prohibit discrimination against a person because of their national origin in housing-related transactions. Fair housing laws protect people regardless of their immigration status. Different treatment in housing because of a person’s ancestry, ethnicity, birthplace, culture, or language is illegal. This means that people cannot be denied housing opportunities or treated differently because they or their family are from another country because they have a name or accent associated with a national origin group, because they participate in certain customs associated with a national origin group, or because they are married to or associate with people of a certain national origin. Sometimes national origin discrimination can include or overlap with discrimination because of race, color, or religion. 

WHAT DOES NATIONAL ORIGIN, IMMIGRATION, OR REFUGEE STATUS DISCRIMINATION LOOK LIKE?

• Refusing to rent to you because you or some of your family members do not speak English; 

• Forcing you to choose an apartment near other people who are from the same country, speak the same language as you, or are of the same religion as you; 

• Enforcing rules against you or your family because you are an immigrant or refugee or because of your religion but not enforcing those rules against anyone else. 

• Refusing to rent to you or show you a home that is for rent or sale because you are an immigrant or refugee from a particular country or because of your religious faith; 

• Charging you more rent or a higher security deposit because of where you are from; 

• Denying you housing because you are not a US citizen; 

• Requiring you to get a cosigner because you are an immigrant, refugee from a particular country, or because of your religion.

• A public housing authority refuses to provide a translator or provide documents in alternative languages upon request.

• A landlord or real estate agent asking you to identify your religion. 

• A  landlord or real estate agent asking you questions about your immigration status because of how you look, talk or dress.

• The owner or management fails to take action within their power to stop harassment by an employee or agent.

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Harassment or threats include a housing provider doing any of the following: 

• Saying you will be deported; 

• Telling you to go back to your own country;

• Painting graffiti or writing on your home, including using slurs or threats to harm you or your family if you do not move out; 

• Yelling racial, ethnic, or religious slurs at you and your family; 

If you think you have been the victim of housing discrimination because you are an immigrant or a refugee, because of where you are from, or because of your religious faith, please contact us for assistance.

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