HUD Provides Guidance on the LGBT Community and Fair Housing

Lease Agreement Copyright Ralf Kleemann — Copyright: Ralf Kleemann

HUD released specific guidance on July 13 to help avoid discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans in multifamily insured and assisted housing. The guidance helps clarify HUD’s 2012 Equal Access Rule as it relates to the LGBT community.

Specifically, the Fair Housing Act does not expressly include sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status as protected characteristics. The guidance clearly emphasizes, however, that a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person may still be protected by one or more of the Fair Housing Act’s prohibitions against discrimination.

NMHC/NAA are committed to equal housing opportunity for all without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status.

Questions? Please contact NMHC’s Lisa Blackwell at lblackwell@nmhc.org.