Fair Housing: Did You Know?

Did you know that force or threats of force to interfere with another person’s fair housing rights may be a federal crime?

Under 42 U.S.C. § 3631, Criminal Interference with Right to Fair Housing, it is unlawful for any individual(s), by the use of force or threatened use of force to injure, intimidate, or interfere with (to attempt to injure, intimidate, or interfere with), any person’s housing rights because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

Among those housing rights listed in the statute are:

• the sale, purchase, or renting of a dwelling;
• the occupation of a dwelling,
• the financing of a dwelling,
• contracting or negotiating for any of the rights enumerated above, or
• applying for or participating in any service, organization, or facility relating to the sale or rental of dwellings.

Violations of this federal statute may result in the following penalties:

• a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both;
• if bodily injury results, a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both; and
• if death results, imprisonment for any term of years or for life.

NOTE: The United States of Department of Justice prosecuted a North Carolina man in 2020, for criminal interference with the Fair Housing Act. You can read the press release here.