Housing discrimination refers to practices of unfair treatment that often affect a tenant or buyer of real estate from another place. This disparate treatment of one person in the real estate market can be because of group characteristics, or on the particular location where a person resides.
In some specific situations, people of one race or ethnicity may face discrimination in a community. While many communities are diverse in ethnic and racial background, there is still an undercurrent of prejudice and discrimination among the different groups. In some cases, there are communities that have a lot of racial discrimination, with some neighborhoods even having an unusually high number of black or other minority residents.
The most common types of housing discrimination are related to age, sexual orientation, and religion. If someone is harassed in the workplace or harassed by someone of the same sex, they should contact their legal counsel immediately. Often, such individuals experience discrimination by landlords who do not allow them to rent apartments and by realtors who fail to disclose their own prejudices.
When an elderly person lives in a nursing home or a senior apartment, they will face discrimination because they are considered elderly. Many people who experience housing discrimination may also find themselves faced with being unable to purchase a house or apartment. The reason for this may be because they may not have the money available to pay the price of a house that is appropriate for their current state of affairs or because they may be too physically disabled to purchase a house or apartment.
Unfortunately, if a resident of the building or establishment is not willing to pay the price of the home or apartment, then there may be legal action that needs to be taken to have the owner or manager reevaluate the terms and conditions of the property. This action may be costly, but it may provide the opportunity for someone to purchase the home or apartment in order to be able to live in it. Many times, older citizens who have had housing discrimination experience a lot of stress and pain when trying to be able to live in their neighborhood. As a result, they sometimes decide to move away from their home permanently.
A real estate lawyer can help anyone in need of help when facing the problem of housing discrimination. He or she can guide their clients through the legal process so that they can find out whether their situation qualifies as one of discrimination or whether it would be better to move on with their lives.