Rhode Island Amends Fair Housing Practices Act
By Brian Castine
Effective July 13, 2015, the state of Rhode Island modified its provisions regarding its state Fair Housing Practices Act by adding military status discrimination as an unlawful housing practice.
Sections 34-37- through 34-37-9 of the General Laws entitled “Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act” are hereby amended to include military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the Armed Forces, as a protected group of individuals. The previous protected groups that include people that are, or are associated with a particular race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, housing status, or familial status or because of the race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and marital status will remain in effect, in addition to the above mentioned military status provision.
34-37-1. Finding and declaration of policy.
The State of Rhode Island is attempting to remedy the negative effects that are caused by individuals and groups of individuals that are discriminated against and denied equal opportunity for comfortable living accommodations. Equal opportunity discrimination leads to large groups of inhabitants to dwell in segregated areas which tend to induce crowded and substandard conditions. Among those that have been discriminated against are those (a) with military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the Armed Forces. The aforementioned shall now be added among the protected groups of persons, that have been denied equal opportunity in obtaining housing accommodations and forced to live in prescribed areas. (b) Those current and former servicemembers who have been, or are being threatened, victims of domestic abuse, or are seeking relief in the form of a restraining order for protection from domestic abuse, or are seeking equal opportunity to obtain decent living accommodations anywhere within the state in state may be protected and insured.
34-37-2. Right to equal housing opportunities — Civil rights.
Landlords may still proceed with evicting any tenant who fails to comply with ยง 34-18-24(7) including any person with military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the Armed Forces.
34-37-4. Unlawful housing practices.
Landlords and those having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation are prohibited from making any inquiry as to the military status of an individual. Nor shall any owner directly or indirectly, refuse to sell, rent, lease, or otherwise deny to or withhold from any individual the housing accommodation because of their present or past military status. In addition no owner shall issue any advertisement relating to the sale, rental, or lease of the housing accommodation which indicates any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based upon military status. (b)Nor shall any person discriminate against any applicant based on their military status insofar as financial assistance is concerned. This is expanded to include (c) those providing loans, or other forms of financial assistance, from limiting or prohibiting the availability of financial products that would otherwise prevent the acquisition of equal housing and housing accommodations, whether directly or through the terms and conditions of said assistance.
Anna DeSimone founded Bankers Advisory in 1986 and is a nationally recognized authority in residential mortgage lending. She has received numerous industry awards and has authored more than 40 best practices guides and hundreds of articles.
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