The Commission sponsored three Fair Housing Symposiums in 2025 in Durham, Charlotte, and Wilmington. While it’s common knowledge that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions based on race, color, sex , national origin, religion, disability, or familial status, these Symposiums dug deeper into issues of income discrimination and the disparate impact that certain policies can have on protected classes of people.
For example, under the FHA, it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone who intends to pay their rent with lawful sources of income like housing assistance vouchers, subsidies, or other forms of public assistance. This is an example of income discrimination, and all brokers should be aware of similar behavior.
Some brokers may have policies in place that on their face do not appear discriminatory, but in practice and effect are. An example of this is a landlord who requires all tenants to be employed full-time. Her reason is to ensure that every tenant can pay their rent, but this policy essentially bars tenancy to certain disabled people, seniors, and/or veterans who have enough income, but are not employed full-time.
North Carolina brokers should educate themselves to ensure they follow the fair housing laws to allow everyone access to housing. For more information on fair housing and your responsibilities as a broker, click here: https://www.ncrec.gov/FHResources/AdditionalResources