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Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

According to HUD, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Means to: Take action to reduce/eliminate differences in housing choices and in access to opportunity and factors impacted by housing, such as employment and transportation. Make formerly segregated areas into neighborhoods of people with different backgrounds: race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, etc. Transform…

Family & Personal

Fair Housing | Housing

Dealing with Contractors

Natural disasters cause damage to homes, businesses, and city infrastructure. When the storm passes and you are able to investigate the damage, scammers come around. Contractors claiming to be something they are not can take your money and run. People like roofers, carpenters, and plumbers may claim to help you…

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Housing

Financial Matters

Disaster Relief

Ejectment of Unwanted Occupant

When there is no agreement to pay rent between a property owner and the occupant, an ejectment lawsuit is the proper action to be filed by a property owner (or a person in lawful possession of the property) to recover possession of the property from an unwanted occupant. While ejectments…

Family & Personal

Housing

Fair Housing

All Central Floridians deserve equal housing opportunities. We can help you determine if you are being discriminated against based on your protected class. The protected classes are race, national origin, color, sex or gender, disabilities, religion, and family situations. These are also known as the seven protected traits covered under…

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Fair Housing | Housing

Fees in Lieu of Security Deposit

Under Florida Statute 83.491, landlords may offer tenants the option to pay a nonrefundable fee instead of a security deposit. The tenant may pay the fee in monthly installments in addition to rent, or according to a payment schedule outlined in the lease. The nonrefundable fee is available to help…

Family & Personal

Housing

Community Legal Services (CLS) provides legal information and representation to renters and homeowners to help you stay in your home. Information available here includes evictions, landlord-tenant disagreements, subsidized housing, unlawful detainers, ejectments, reverse mortgage foreclosures, mortgage foreclosures, and more. By offering our legal expertise on these issues, CLS helps Central…

Family & Personal

Housing

Housing Choice Vouchers – Subsidized Housing

Families who participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program use vouchers issued by local Housing Authorities (HA) to rent privately-owned apartments or houses from landlords approved by the HA. Families sign leases with landlords, just as they would in private housing, and the HA pays a portion of the family’s…

Family & Personal

Housing

Housing Discrimination and Fair Housing Laws

The Federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 – 3619) makes housing discrimination in the rental, sale, financing, or insuring of housing or housing-related services illegal if the discrimination is based on race, national origin, color, sex or gender, disability, religion, and familial status (presence of children under the…

Family & Personal

Fair Housing | Housing

Housing Providers and Fair Housing Laws

As a housing provider, you have an obligation to uphold fair housing laws. Individuals looking to buy or rent from you have rights under the Federal Fair Housing Act and Florida’s Fair Housing Act that protect them from housing discrimination It is just as important that you know these specific…

Family & Personal

Fair Housing | Housing

Landlords in Foreclosure

Your Landlord is Facing Foreclosure If the person who owns the home that you are renting does not make their mortgage loan payments, they may end up in foreclosure — a lawsuit where their lender attempts to have the court sell off the property to pay off the loan. This…

Family & Personal

Housing

Financial Matters

Debt & Creditors