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EDITORIAL: Don't let people get away with housing discrimination

Brunswick News - 2/28/2019

Feb. 28-- Feb. 28--If you have the means to live somewhere, you should be allowed to do so. That, in the most basic form, is what fair housing laws are intended to do.

On Tuesday, a workshop was held to emphasize that point to Golden Isles residents. The workshop provided some interesting tidbits that some people renting and/or looking to buy might not have known.

There are a variety of ways that people can be discriminated against when it comes to housing. Race, color, religion, national origin, gender, familial status and disability are not reasons why some can be denied a chance to live where they want.

The top complaint that the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity handles when it comes to housing discrimination is people with disabilities. Some people have been denied access to a home because they have a service animal. However, by law service animals are not considered pets.

That means landlords cannot reject someone because he or she has a service animal. It also means landlords can't put in overly restrictive rules for service animals.

Another big issue some people run into while looking for a house is discrimination because of their family situation. If you see an ad for a place to live that uses words like "mature adults only" or "no children allowed," those are discriminatory ads.

One of the reasons why Tuesday's workshop was needed is because people who have faced these issues may not know how to deal with them. Shauntia Lewis, the neighborhood revitalization manager for the city of Brunswick, said the city believes there are some facing similar issues because of the city's high poverty rate.

"We know a lot of people in Brunswick and Glynn County whose housing rights have been violated," Lewis said. "Some don't know how to get out of the situation."

Lewis also said more workshops may be coming in the future, and we think that is definitely worth pursuing. It is important for people to know that they have certain rights when it comes to renting or buying a home.

Some of the people who were at the workshop were from places like Safe Harbor and the Georgia Legal Service Program who were looking to educate themselves on how to best help their clients.

Hopefully, the next workshop will bring out more residents who have faced these issues so they can air their grievances.

If you can afford it, you should be able to live in any home you want. If you run into people who want to take that part of the American Dream away from you, reach out to someone who can help you shine a light on their discriminatory practices.

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