I just learned about this situation in Philadelphia where the landlord terminated a woman’s lease because she adopted a child.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has filed a lawsuit – good for them!  Read about it below (which is cross posted from HUD’s blog site):

Having a child is no reason to deny a mother an apartment

Shantae Goodloe

Don’t let the fact that a landlord has never rented to a family with children deter you from applying for an apartment. An adoptive mother in suburban Philadelphia was faced with this kind of housing discrimination and the U.S. Department of Housing   and Urban Development (HUD) got involved. Remember, the Fair Housing Act says it’s illegal to discriminate against families with children.

In April 2010 HUD charged a Philadelphia couple with illegally terminating the lease of a single mother because she adopted an 11-year-old child. In addition, HUD alleges that the landlords made discriminatory statements indicating that they did not rent to families with children and that they discouraged other families from applying for available rental units by understating the number of bedrooms.

“Adoptive families deserve the same respect and enjoy the same rights as all families in our society,” stated John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity. “HUD works vigorously to enforce legal protection for families with children.”

The HUD charge will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party to the charge elects to have the case heard in federal district court. The judge will determine whether discrimination has occurred and, if so, may grant monetary damages to the family and impose fines on the landlords.

For more information about his case, click here, and to read about this story in the Philadelphia Daily News, click here.

If you or someone you know have been a victim of housing discrimination based on family status please call 1-800-669-9777 or visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.