Fair Housing

Fair Housing Choice in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County is committed to upholding the Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act. It is the County's policy to provide services without regard to:

Equal Opportunity Housing
  • Age 
  • Color
  • Creed
  • Height
  • Marital Status
  • National Origin
  • Physical Handicap
  • Political Belief
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Sex
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Veteran Status
  • Weight

Fair Housing

Washtenaw County is committed to affirmatively furthering fair housing efforts by promoting fair and equal housing opportunities for all residents and fostering inclusive communities.

Fair housing can be defined as a condition in which individuals of similar income levels in the same housing market have a like range of housing choice available to them regardless of:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Color
  • Disability
  • Familial Status
  • Gender
  • Marital Status
  • National Origin
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Source of Income

Housing Discrimination

Housing discrimination is unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals, in the area of housing and real estate, based on the individual's protected class. Illegal housing discrimination can take many forms, including:

  • Realtors showing apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods
  • Advertising housing only to preferred groups of people
  • Refusal to provide mortgage loan information
  • Discriminatory property appraisals
  • Refusals to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities

Fair Housing Complaints

If you believe you have been denied housing or the opportunity to apply for housing in Washtenaw County because of a protected characteristic, you may contact one of the following agencies:

Analysis of Fair Housing Impediments

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all communities receiving federal housing and community development funding complete an Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice. An AI was completed for Washtenaw County in 2007 (PDF). Washtenaw County actively works to address the impediments to fair housing highlighted in this analysis.