March 2025 - Springing into Fair Housing
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Welcome Note
As we spring into fair housing month, we want to shed some light on families with children and the protections they have under the Fair Housing Act. It is crucial that we understand what familial status based discrimination looks like. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of fair housing for all families.
Springing into Fair Housing
Did You Know…
'Familial status' is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), designed to prevent discrimination against families with children, pregnant individuals, and those in the process of obtaining legal custody of children. This protection ensures that all families have equal access to housing opportunities without facing bias or exclusion.
Refusing to rent to families with children, requiring families with children to live on specific floors or areas, and advertising that explicitly prohibits children are all examples of familial status based discrimination and violations of the FHA.
Children face the most extreme eviction rates and risk. A study found that nearly 40% of the 7.6 million people facing eviction each year were children. Moreover, 52% of households with eviction filings have at least one child. (PNAS, 2023)
So What Does It All Mean?
Evicted children are more likely to suffer long-term harm. Children who are evicted are more likely to struggle with food insecurity, access to healthcare and childcare, and have lower cognitive scores than those not evicted. Eviction stress has been linked to a 10–35% increased likelihood of child depression and anxiety (Pediatrics, 2022; MedRxIV, Jamie L. Hanson, 2024; Social Science & Medicine, 2022).
In 2024, the National Alliance for Fair Housing reported 2,139 complaints filed on the basis of familial status discrimination. Although this represents just 6% of all filed complaints, it highlights that discrimination based on familial status remains a significant issue, continuing to affect families in our communities.
While discrimination based on familial status can happen to anyone regardless of race or color, it is important to note that studies show minority groups may face additional challenges due to the systemic issues associated with securing housing.
What Can We Do?
Equip ourselves with knowledge! It is important to be aware of your rights under the Faire Housing Act. Informing others about familial status protections and knowing how to identify discrimination is vital in ensuring more inclusive communities.
Know the resources in your area and use them. Food banks, clothing closets, and even free counseling and therapy for children may be available in your vicinity.
We can better support our families with children facing evictions by connecting them with the Florida Legal Services Eviction Prevention project. We offer FREE legal services to help keep families and children housed, while working with landlords to prevent evictions. If you or someone you know is facing housing instability, please call 888-780-0443.
Community Outreach
Upcoming Outreach Events
What We’ve Been Up To
Black Family Wellness Event
The Fair Housing and Eviction Prevention teams participated in the resource fair at the Gainesville (FL) Chapter of The Links’ Black Family Wellness Expo, where we provided vital information on fair housing protections and eviction prevention services available to Alachua County residents. We are appreciative of the opportunity to connect with diverse communities and expand awareness of our free legal services!
Santa Fe Spring Safety Event
Our Testing Coordinator, Pia, and Outreach Coordinators, Marissa and Lola, attended the ‘Santa Fe Spring Safety Event’. Students were eager to learn about their housing rights and the opportunity to support the Fair Housing team by becoming testers. It was a wonderful event, and we are thankful to Santa Fe for inviting us and providing such a valuable experience.
Family Fun Day in Volusia
We had a blast partnering with You Thrive Florida at their two "Family Fun Day" events, held on both the East and West sides of Volusia County! Families enjoyed a day filled with exciting games and activities, while also connecting with a variety of community resources and discovering programs that are there to support them. It was a fantastic experience, and we’re already looking forward to more fun-filled events in the future!
Gainesville Community Ministries Outreach
In a joint effort with our two Housing Justice teams, Pia, Lola, and Marissa tabled during Gainesville Community Ministries’ drive-through food distribution. We provided flyers to all the participants and shared information on our free legal services. Thank you GCM for having us, we deeply appreciate community partners like you who help strengthen and enrich our community.
UpLift Tri-County
Our Outreach Coordinator participated in the UpLift Tri-County event, held at Camp Anderson. This impactful day provided valuable opportunities to learn about the wide range of community services available across Levy, Gilchrist, and Dixie counties. We are grateful for the connections made and excited about the potential collaborations with dedicated community partners.
A Quinn Jones Family Resource Fair
The Housing Justice projects shared their resources during A Quinn Jones’s second annual Family Engagement Day. We were able to pass out informational brochures, and spread the word that FLS is here to help support them with any of their housing concerns. A big thank you to A Quinn Jones Center for hosting and allowing us to attend!
Palatka Night
We were honored to speak at ‘Palatka Night,’ hosted by the Migrant Education Program. It was an inspiring evening dedicated to providing the migrant community with valuable resources and support. We were thrilled to share important fair housing information and engage with attendees, answering their questions and connecting them with helpful resources.
Flagler College Disability Awareness Week
Thank you Flagler College for letting us play a prominent role in your Disability Awareness week where we served as the moderator for your documentary film nights and also as a panelist during your panel on Disability and Success.
Library Partnership’s Brunch and Learn
We would like to send a special thank you to Library Partnership for hosting us during their quarterly Brunch and Learn event series. The eviction prevention team presented on tenant’s rights to tenants facing housing issues. Thank you Library Partnership for your continued support of FLS’s outreach efforts!
Peaceful Paths Financial Empowerment Class
The Eviction Prevention team had the opportunity to provide a training workshop on tenant rights to the survivors at Peaceful Paths during their financial literacy class. We were able to ensure that the survivors had the information needed to better support their transition to an independent lifestyle through supporting their housing needs.
Learn to Read - St. John’s County
Always a treat when we get to present Know Your Rights information of the Adult English Language Learners at Learn to Read in St. Augustine. The folks at LTR are so fun and eager to learn. Our creative lesson plans offer these adult students both a lesson in law and practice speaking English. Thank you to our Flagler College Intern Hannah Gerber for yet another great session!
Flagler County Spring Outreach Event
Another great turnout at the Cattleman’s Hall in Bunnell, FL, where we were among dozens of organizations distributing materials and information about the resources and services we offer.
Eviction Prevention in Alachua County:
Alachua County Eviction Prevention Legal Clinic - If you have a housing or legal question that you would like to consult an attorney about, please join us on April 8th at One Community Family Resource Center from 11am-1pm, located on 1725 SE 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32641. You can speak to an attorney for FREE, if you have any questions or concerns, stop by!
Know Your Rights Workshops - The Alachua County Eviction Prevention team is hosting FREE monthly legal clinics “Know Your Rights As A Renter” at public locations throughout the county. Join the Fair Housing and Eviction Prevention teams this month on April 14th at Alachua County Fire Rescue from 1pm-2:30pm, located on 911 SE 5th St, Gainesville, FL 32601. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear advice and ask questions of experienced housing attorneys.
Alachua County Eviction Prevention Helpline - CALL: 888-780-0443
This helpline aimed at serving Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) recipients and other members of the Alachua community is up and running! Helpline operators are accepting phone calls regarding housing, landlord-tenant issues, child support, or any other legal issue faced by low-income Alachua County renters. Callers will be connected with an attorney who can provide legal assistance over the phone and in some cases, direct legal representation. EMAIL TO JOIN MAILING LIST FOR UPCOMING FREE LEGAL CLINIC!
The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) protects you from discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. This applies to renting, buying, mortgages, appraisals, insurance, and looking for a place to live.
IF YOU THINK YOU’VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT:
407-801- 4224 (English)
850-680-1729 (Spanish)
fairhousing@floridalegal.org
www.floridalegal.org/fairhousing
IF YOU ARE AN ALACHUA COUNTY RESIDENT FACING BARRIERS TO HOUSING OR AN EVICTION, PLEASE CALL AND FOLLOW THE PROMPTS TO REACH A LIVE ALACHUA COUNTY OPERATOR:
888-780-0443 (English and Spanish)
www.floridalegal.org/evictionprevention
The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.