OHFA Celebrates Equal Access to Housing Through Commemoration of Fair Housing Month
COLUMBUS – April 3, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) proudly recognizes Fair Housing Month, which celebrates the advancements in making equal access to affordable housing for all regardless of race, color, nationality, familial and military status, disability or ancestry.
“This month calls for OHFA and its partners to commemorate the advancements in making equal access to affordable housing available to every Ohioan,” said Doug Garver, Executive Director for the Agency. “We are proud to join the nation in observing Fair Housing Month as it is essential in the affordable housing industry and pertinent to OHFA’s mission.”
Adopted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act applies to housing and housing-related activities, including apartment and home rentals, real estate sales, mortgage lending and homeowners insurance. Some examples of activities considered illegal under the Act include:
Refusal to rent or sell housing;
Refusal to negotiate for housing;
Setting different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a property; and
Advertising or making any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap.
As the state’s affordable housing leader, OHFA serves as a vital resource for Ohioans in their quest for housing options through a variety of programs for renters and homebuyers. Through its First-Time Homebuyer program, the Agency offers stable financing options for Ohioans with low- to moderate-incomes. In addition, the Agency has helped to finance more than 89,000 units of affordable rental housing across the state.
For more information on OHFA and its programs, visit www.ohiohome.org or call 888.362.6432. For more information on the Fair Housing Act, visit http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp.
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About the Ohio Housing Finance Agency
OHFA is a self-supporting quasi-public agency governed by an eleven member board. The Agency uses federal and state resources to provide housing opportunities for families and individuals through programs designed to develop, preserve and sustain affordable housing throughout the state of Ohio. OHFA is also the administrator of the state’s foreclosure prevention program, Save the Dream Ohio.
Media Contact:
Arlyne Alston
Email: aalston (at) ohiohome (dot) org
Phone: 614.387.2863
