Fair Housing and Illegal Housing Discrimination
The federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for landlords, homeowners associations, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, lenders, insurance companies and others to discriminate against anyone on the basis of:
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- Family Status (families with children under 18)
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- Physical or Mental Disability
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- National Origin/Ethnicity
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Oregon Law also makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of:
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Legal Sources of Income*
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Domestic Violence Survivors
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Marital Status
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Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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*It is illegal to discriminate because an income source is a public assistance program. This includes the Section 8/Housing Choice voucher program operated by local housing authorities and rent assistance from agencies.
On July 18 2023, the Lane County Board of Commissioners adopted a Fair Housing Resolution which states that it is the policy of Lane County to support the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and to implement a Fair Housing Program to ensure equal opportunity in housing for all persons.
Fair Housing Help
SETA Tenant Hotline
Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (SETA) provides a free tenant hotline to Eugene residents. SETA is a non-profit, public service organization that is dedicated to renters' rights and interests.
SETA Tenant Hotline: 541-972-3715 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Leave a voicemail with a brief overview for which you are seeking help. Calls are returned during the week and on weekends.
Fair Housing Council of Oregon
Fair Housing Council of Oregon operates a hotline for housing discrimination and maintains a website with fair housing information. Fair Housing inquiries and complaints may be submitted online, or by sending an email to: [email protected].
Anyone with a fair housing question can also contact the hotline: 1-800-424-3247, ext. 2.
Oregon Law Center
The Lane County Legal Aid Office of the Oregon Law Center serves the low-income community throughout Lane County. While they do intakes on a wide variety of issues, the cases typically handled are related to housing, benefits, family law and issues of domestic violence. For more information, visit their website or call them.
Oregon Law Center: 541-485-1017 (9 am to noon, and 1-5 pm).
Bureau of Labor and Industries
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) protects your civil rights at home. You may file a housing discrimination complaint or email [email protected] for housing discrimination questions.
BOLI: 971-673-0761 (staffed Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm; messages can be left any time).
Housing and Urban Development
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Office can be contacted directly with discrimination complaints.
You can speak with an FHEO intake specialist by calling 1-800-669-9777 or TTY: 1-800-877-8339.\