Fair Housing vs. Unfair Housing

Do you know the difference?

Knowing the difference between fair housing and unfair housing isn't as obvious as you might think. This blog aims to present a variety of important and interesting fair housing issues.

If you're an apartment professional, avoid costly mistakes by reading the stories of others who — even with good intentions — learned compliance lessons the hard way. (For the easy way, click here.)

If you live in an apartment, get familiar with your rights when it comes to housing discrimination, as well as your options for seeking justice.


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Does a Ban on Sober Houses Violate the Fair Housing Act?

That's a question that may soon be litigated in Florida courts. Yesterday, the commissioners of Delray Beach, Florida unanimously voted to pass four ordinances that effectively ban sober houses and other transient rental homes from having a place within single-family communities.

The city's mayor insisted that the move was aimed solely at preventing "unscrupulous and profit-mongering landlords" from operating in their city, according to the Palm Beach Post. But others say the real motive is to help Delray Beach shed its image as the "recovery capital of the world," and the Post noted that residents have complained about added noise and crime from the presence of so many sober houses.

Should the new ordinances banning sober houses in Delray Beach stand? Or, given that the Fair Housing Act's (FHA) ban on disability-based discrimination includes protections for people who have an addiction to drugs and alcohol, should these ordinances be overturned?

What do you think?

2 comments:

kelly said...

yes it does and not only does it break the law ,a lot of peoples perception of what recovery homes and 12 step programs are about are distorted and off,the book of alcoholics anonymous was written to help a man or woman find god,the 12 steps are designed to help a man or woman have a spiritual awakening.I guess Bob Dylan said it best when he said
" you can't criticise what you don't understan"we just went through with city hall,wow,http://www.soberliving.com

anonymous said...

In Newport Beach CA.They would rather have people come here to drink and do drugs then to come and enjoy the beach and sunsets clean and sober , Hello
http://www.soberliving.com