Fair Housing

Fair Housing Laws Apply To:

  • Individual homes, duplexes, multifamily housing (apartments, condos, and town homes), retirement housing, adult foster homes and long term care facilities, homeless shelters and other nonprofit housing, etc.
  • Sales, rentals, mortgage lending, building and construction, home insurance, appraisals, and inspections, land use regulations, zoning, as well as neighbor-on-neighbor harassment

The Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) is a nonprofit civil rights organization driven to eliminate illegal housing discrimination through enforcement and education across Oregon and southwest Washington.

The FHCO promotes equal access to housing by providing education, outreach, technical assistance, and enforcement opportunities specifically related to federal, state, and local fair housing laws. These laws protect against illegal housing discrimination based on “protected class status” in any housing transaction and, in fact, any housing situation.

Federally Protected Classes:
race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, and disability

State Protected Classes Include:
marital status, source of income, sexual orientation including gender identity, honorably discharged veterans / military status, and domestic violence victims.
There are, often, additional local protected classes

Services provided by the Fair Housing Council include access to fair housing enforcement, and education and outreach about federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

Fair housing questions, contact the Fair Housing Hotline at 503/223-8197 Ext. 2 (Portland metro area) or 800/424-3247 Ext. 2 or at information@FHCO.org.

Frequently Asked Questions - Fair Housing Council of Oregon