Fair Housing

Fair Housing Choice in Westminster

The City of Westminster is committed to affirmatively furthering fair housing. The CDBG program provides a platform to affirmatively further fair housing through partnerships with other city departments and local organizations that promote self-sufficiency, help residents strive toward meeting their basic needs, and essentially reduce barriers to fair housing.

Types of Housing Discrimination

Whether people are trying to rent, buy, sell, or finance a home or apartment, as a tenant, homeowner, or landlord; rights and protections are provided by the Federal Fair Housing Act. Illegal housing discrimination can take many forms:

Realtors showing apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods
Advertising housing only to preferred groups of people
Denials of property insurance
Discriminatory property appraisals
Refusals to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities

If you would like to report a fair housing complaint or ask questions related to fair housing, please contact any of the following:

The closest HUD Office by mailing a letter
The Housing Discrimination Hotline by email or at 1-800-669-9777 (voice) or 1-800-927-9275 (TTY)

The Denver Metro Fair Housing Center at 720-279-4291

About the Fair Housing Act

The federal Fair Housing Act was adopted in 1968 and amended in 1988. HUD is the agency charged with enforcing the Fair Housing Act. According to HUD, impediments to fair housing choice are any actions, omissions, or decisions taken because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin that restrict housing choices, or the availability of housing choices. HUD also considers any actions, omissions or decisions that have the effect of restricting housing choices or the availability of housing choices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin to be impediments to fair housing choice. The State of Colorado also has enacted legislation prohibiting housing discrimination, and state law offers the same protections as the Fair Housing Act, with additional protections based on marital status, creed, and ancestry.

Progress Toward Addressing Impediments

The City of Westminster actively works towards addressing impediments to fair housing. Through the Consolidated Plan, the city has certified that it will work toward eliminating impediments to fair housing choice. The city's efforts towards eliminating impediments will be documented each year in the CDBG Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER).

Denver Metro Fair Housing Center

The Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC) is the voice of fair housing in Metro Denver. DMFHC works to eliminate housing discrimination and to promote housing choice for all people through education, advocacy and enforcement of fair housing law. DMFHC maintains that education and outreach play an equally important role to advocacy and enforcement in the fight against housing discrimination. Regular training seminars are held for both home seekers and housing providers to educate and inform about fair housing law, as well as both consumer-rights and risk management for housing providers. Public events help to ensure that all home seekers, participants in the housing industry and community members understand fair housing law and the value of integrated communities.