The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in the rental, sale, or financing of housing based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status, and disability. States, such as Hawaiʻi, can offer additional protections.
When a person is facing housing discrimination, there are two main administrative avenues they can go through: the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly referred to as HUD.
If there were legal coverage at both the federal and state levels, the case could be filed by both entities.
But because of changes in guidance from HUD on how it administers the Fair Housing Act, those facing discrimination due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and English language proficiency may now have limited options at the federal level.
HPR’s Ashley Mizuo reports on the state’s efforts to fill the gap.
A full text version of this story will be available later today.
