questions & answers

Question: I am SMI and severely physically and mentally disabled. I have trouble communicating. An employee that works in the office always treats me poorly and treats my non disabled friend and tenant normally. She recently called cops on me and tried to force me to leave office w/o info while discriminating against me talking about if I would “stop running [my] mouth” + more abuse. I still don’t have info. Makes it hard for me. Do I have recourse?

Answer: Under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), it is unlawful for a residential landlord (and that landlord’s on-site agents) to discriminate against a tenant on the basis of mental and/or physical disability. If a residential tenant believes that their rights under the FHA have been violated, they may file complaints with both the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Civil Rights Division of the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. To learn more about filing a housing discrimination complaint at the federal level, you may contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or visit the following webpage: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint To learn more about filing a housing discrimination complaint at the state level, you may contact the Civil Rights Division of the Office of the Arizona Attorney General at 1-877-491-5742 (Phoenix office) or 1-877-491-5740 (Tucson office) or visit the following webpage: https://housing.az.gov/have-you-been-discriminated-against-when-making-your-housing-choice