This section of PALawHelp.org has information and resources about Housing Discrimination and Fair Housing issues in Pennsylvania.
Click on a resource category listed below to see information related to that category.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - How the Fair Housing Act affects you
Information from the Fair Housing Law Center on the provisions of the Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings based on membership in certain protected classes.
Fair Housing is Your Right - Use It! (Video)
Federal, state and local laws promote fair housing and prohibit housing discrimination. This video from North Penn Legal Services explains your right to Fair Housing.
Reasonable Accommodation Housing
Various federal laws require housing providers to make reasonable accommodations and modifications for individuals with disabilities. Federal nondiscrimination laws that protect against disability discrimination cover not only tenants and home seekers with disabilities, but also buyers and renters without disabilities who live or are associated with individuals with disabilities. These laws also prohibit housing providers from refusing residency to people with disabilities or placing conditions on their residency because they require reasonable accommodations or modifications. The Fair Housing Law Center provides information on these issues.
Housing Discrimination Complaint - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Information on how to file a housing discrimination complaint online with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development using Housing Discrimination Complaint, Form HUD-903.1. Online version also available in Spanish. Other foreign language versions of the complaint form are available for download.
Landlord Tenant Handbook
Detailed information about renting a residence from a landlord from North Penn Legal Services (NPLS). Fair housing (housing discrimination) information is included throughout the entire handbook. There is a Lehigh Valley Edition and a Northeast PA Edition. NPLS revised the Landlord-Tenant Handbook in December 2019.
Understand Fair Housing Laws in Pennsylvania
Fair Housing laws make it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on a protected class. Learn more about these laws from the Houaing Equality Center of Pennsylvania including the types of housing covered by the Fair Housing Act, protected scenarios, disabilities & accessibility, and what to do if you think you have experienced housing discrimination.
Housing Discrimination Complaint - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Information on how to file a housing discrimination complaint online with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development using Housing Discrimination Complaint, Form HUD-903.1. Online version also available in Spanish. Other foreign language versions of the complaint form are available for download.
Housing Discrimination - Filing A Complaint
Information for those renting or home buyer a home who believe their rights have been violated. Details on fair housing complaints
Housing Discrimination Complaint - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Information on how to file a housing discrimination complaint online with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development using Housing Discrimination Complaint, Form HUD-903.1. Online version also available in Spanish. Other foreign language versions of the complaint form are available for download.
Federal Court Finder
Find a federal court location by location or court name, including appellate, district, bankruptcy, probation and pretrial office, or federal defender organization. Each District Court has its own local forms which are generally available on the Court website.
PAHousingSearch.com
This is a free resource from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and other Commonwealth partners to help you find a home that fits your needs and budget. Property providers can list available apartments or homes at any time, which means the listings are current. The web site lets you define what you want in your next living space, and then it does all the research – presenting you with the relevant housing vacancies that best fit your parameters in the community where you want to live.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - How the Fair Housing Act affects you
Information from the Fair Housing Law Center on the provisions of the Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings based on membership in certain protected classes.
Fair Housing is Your Right - Use It! (Video)
Federal, state and local laws promote fair housing and prohibit housing discrimination. This video from North Penn Legal Services explains your right to Fair Housing.
A Disabled Tenant’s Rights to A Reasonable Accommodation
Information from MidPenn Legal Services on when a tenant may be eligible for a reasonable accommodation from a landlord when renting a home or apartment. [PDF] (June 2011)
Reasonable Accommodation Housing
Various federal laws require housing providers to make reasonable accommodations and modifications for individuals with disabilities. Federal nondiscrimination laws that protect against disability discrimination cover not only tenants and home seekers with disabilities, but also buyers and renters without disabilities who live or are associated with individuals with disabilities. These laws also prohibit housing providers from refusing residency to people with disabilities or placing conditions on their residency because they require reasonable accommodations or modifications. The Fair Housing Law Center provides information on these issues.
Discrimination and Erie Human Relations Commission (Audio-MP3)
Episode of Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" Radio show broadcast on JET 1400 AM in Erie, PA on 3-27-2008. Information regarding discrimination, specifically relating to education, housing and sexual orientation, how to file a complaint with the Erie (PA) Human Relations Commission.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - How the Fair Housing Act affects you
The Fair Housing Act protects individuals’ fair housing rights from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in other housing-related activities. Additional protections apply to federally-assisted housing. The Fair Housing Law Center provides information about about these protections.
Hoarding: Know Your Rights
This handbook provides information for people who struggle with hoarding, clutter, and home maintenance problems. The handbook is available in English and Spanish, and in English for the visually impaired. (November 2014)
Landlord Tenant Handbook
Detailed information about renting a residence from a landlord from North Penn Legal Services (NPLS). Fair housing (housing discrimination) information is included throughout the entire handbook. There is a Lehigh Valley Edition and a Northeast PA Edition. NPLS revised the Landlord-Tenant Handbook in December 2019.
Legal Help for LGBTQ+ Individuals
Community Legal Services (CLS) provides free legal assistance in civil matters for low-income residents of Philadelphia. We are strong advocates for our clients, including LGBTQ+ individuals, when they face the threat of losing their homes, incomes, health care, and even their families. We work on many legal issues including eviction, mortgage foreclosure, criminal record expungements, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other public benefits, SSI, employment, utilities, and housing problems for people who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.
PhillyTenant.Org
PhillyTenant.Org is your resource for tenant rights in Philadelphia. PhillyTenant.org is the product of a collaboration of legal services and advocacy organizations in Philadelphia including: AIDS Law Project; Community Legal Services; Dechert LLP; HELP: MLP; Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center @ Municipal Court; Legal Clinic for the Disabled; Legal Help Center; Philadelphia Legal Assistance; Philly VIP; Regional Housing Legal Services; SeniorLAW Center; and Tenant Union Representative Network. The information provided on PhillyTenant.org is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. For legal advice or representation, tenants should seek legal help.
VAWA Home: Rights for Survivors in LIHTC
Informational website from Regional Housing Legal Services and the National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) on housing protections offered under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking who are residing in, or seeking, housing in units financed through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
Housing Discrimination
Information on the law applicable to housing discrimination from the Erie County Bar Association. (August 2018)
Know Your Rights: Sexual Harassment and Housing
This brochure prepared by the National Housing Law Project and provided through MidPenn Legal Services offers information on your right to be free from sexual harassment in rental housing.
PhillyTenant.Org
PhillyTenant.Org is your resource for tenant rights in Philadelphia. PhillyTenant.org is the product of a collaboration of legal services and advocacy organizations in Philadelphia including: AIDS Law Project; Community Legal Services; Dechert LLP; HELP: MLP; Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center @ Municipal Court; Legal Clinic for the Disabled; Legal Help Center; Philadelphia Legal Assistance; Philly VIP; Regional Housing Legal Services; SeniorLAW Center; and Tenant Union Representative Network. The information provided on PhillyTenant.org is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. For legal advice or representation, tenants should seek legal help.
Fair Housing -- It's Your Right
Description of the protection from housing discrimination offered by the Fair Housing Act from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (May 2010)
You Cannot be Denied Housing Because of Your Disability or Need for a Support or Service Animal (Video)
Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, you cannot be denied housing because of your need for a support or service animal. This video from the PA Human Relations Commission explains your rights.
The Fair Housing Act
Information on housing discrimination and the Fair Housing Act from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All
Information on the Fair Housing Act from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [PDF] (2011)
Housing Discrimination - Filing A Complaint
Information for those renting or home buyer a home who believe their rights have been violated. Details on fair housing complaints
PAHousingSearch.com
This is a free resource from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and other Commonwealth partners to help you find a home that fits your needs and budget. Property providers can list available apartments or homes at any time, which means the listings are current. The web site lets you define what you want in your next living space, and then it does all the research – presenting you with the relevant housing vacancies that best fit your parameters in the community where you want to live.
Discriminatory Zoning and the Fair Housing Act
This booklet from Disability Rights Pennsylvania is designed to acquaint people with disabilities, advocates, providers, and attorneys with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and, in particular, its impact on state and local zoning laws and land use regulations. [PDF] (April 2018)
The Fair Housing Act: An Overview for People with Disabililties
This Fact Sheet from Disability Rights Pennsylvania provides a brief overview of the rights and remedies afforded by the Fair Housing Act to people with disabilities. [PDF]
Fair Housing Videos for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The National Fair Housing Alliance, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has created of 12 videos in American Sign Language (ASL) with English captioning that provide critical legal and practical information on fair housing issues in a format accessible to persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
A Place of My Own - How The ADA Is Creating Integrated Housing Opportunities For People With Mental Illnesse
Information from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law on the how the “integration mandate" of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires public entities to administer their services to individuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, should be applied to housing. [PDF] (March 2014)
Right to Emotional Support Animals in "No Pet" Housing
Information from the Bazelon Center on Mental Health Law on the right of disabled persons to have service animals in housing. (June 2017)
What "Fair Housing" Means for People with Disabilities
This booklet from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is written for people with disabilities who want to rent a home. It will help you recognize illegal discrimination and put an end to it. [PDF] (April 2018)
Publications from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
List of Publications from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. The Bazelon Center produces reports, issue papers, and manuals that analyze major federal laws, policies, and regulations that affect access to services and the rights of people with mental disabilities.
National Fair Housing Alliance
Website of the National Fair Housing Alliance, the only national organization dedicated solely to ending discrimination in housing. It is a consortium of more than 220 private, non-profit fair housing organizations, state and local civil rights agencies, and individuals from throughout the United States.
PhillyTenant.Org
PhillyTenant.Org is your resource for tenant rights in Philadelphia. PhillyTenant.org is the product of a collaboration of legal services and advocacy organizations in Philadelphia including: AIDS Law Project; Community Legal Services; Dechert LLP; HELP: MLP; Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center @ Municipal Court; Legal Clinic for the Disabled; Legal Help Center; Philadelphia Legal Assistance; Philly VIP; Regional Housing Legal Services; SeniorLAW Center; and Tenant Union Representative Network. The information provided on PhillyTenant.org is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. For legal advice or representation, tenants should seek legal help.
Structural Modifications In Public And Section 8 Housing
Information from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law on the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for structural modifications for disabled persons in public and Section 8 housing. [PDF]
Understand Fair Housing Laws in Pennsylvania
Fair Housing laws make it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on a protected class. Learn more about these laws from the Houaing Equality Center of Pennsylvania including the types of housing covered by the Fair Housing Act, protected scenarios, disabilities & accessibility, and what to do if you think you have experienced housing discrimination.
PhillyTenant.Org
PhillyTenant.Org is your resource for tenant rights in Philadelphia. PhillyTenant.org is the product of a collaboration of legal services and advocacy organizations in Philadelphia including: AIDS Law Project; Community Legal Services; Dechert LLP; HELP: MLP; Landlord/Tenant Legal Help Center @ Municipal Court; Legal Clinic for the Disabled; Legal Help Center; Philadelphia Legal Assistance; Philly VIP; Regional Housing Legal Services; SeniorLAW Center; and Tenant Union Representative Network. The information provided on PhillyTenant.org is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. For legal advice or representation, tenants should seek legal help.