We believe everyone has the right to secure housing free from unlawful discrimination. It is our commitment to uphold fair housing principles in Marin County. Fair housing laws and practices protect individuals from discriminatory housing practices and ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to rent, buy, or secure financing for housing, free from biases based on a person's characteristics.
Fair Housing Protections
Marin County prohibits unfair housing in the rental sale or financing of housing. An example of unfair housing practices is discrimination against someone because of their race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, participation in section 8 voucher program or a similar government housing subsidy.
Federal and State laws enforce fair housing laws and protect Marin County residents from discriminatory housing practices. It is a violation if you are a tenant or prospective tenant and have been discriminated against or harassed because of one or more of your traits or attributes.
The protected classes defined by Federal and California state fair housing laws are listed below.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Their mission is to combat housing discrimination and promote economic opportunities, diversity, and inclusivity within communities through leadership and the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws.
A law that prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords, real estate companies, municipalities, banks, and other lending institutions and homeowners' insurance companies, that make housing unavailable due to a person, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.
State of California - Civil Rights Department
The Civil Rights Department (CDR) enforces state fair housing laws that make it illegal to discriminate or harass someone because of a protected characteristic such as their race, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.