Fair Housing
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability).
If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe you rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.
Housing Discrimination Complaint Form
Reasonable Accommodation
A reasonable accommodation is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service that may be necessary for a person with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use spaces, or to fulfill their program obligations. Please note that the American Disability Act (ADA) often refers to these types of accommodations as “modifications.” Any change in the way things are customarily done that enables a person with disabilities to enjoy housing opportunities or to meet program requirements is a reasonable accommodation.
Under Section 504 and the ADA, the Greenwood Housing Authority is required to provide and pay for reasonable structural modifications as reasonable accommodations/modifications.
Some examples of reasonable accommodation are as follows:
- TDD or TTY Devices
- Housing Authority correspondence in an accessible format
- Home visits for clients that are critically ill or disabled
- Assistance to persons with limited written comprehension
- Language translation
- Allowing of additional time to find a suitable handicapped assessable unit because of a disability
Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
Reasonable Accommodation Request Form – Animals
Verification of Need for Reasonable Accommodation – Medical
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. VAWA protections are not only available to women, but are available equally to all individuals regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the Federal agency that oversees that the Greenwood Housing Authority is in compliance with VAWA.
HUD Form 5380 – Notice of Occupancy Rights under the VAWA Act Hearing Procedures
Hearing Procedures
When the Greenwood Housing Authority makes a decision that has a negative impact on a family, the family is often entitled to appeal the decision through the 1st method of requesting an informal hearing and the 2nd method of requesting a formal hearing, if the family feels they are still negative impacted by the results of the informal hearing.