What is Housing Discrimination?

The term “discrimination” means to treat people differently from each other. This term can sometimes be used to describe positive treatment of people that just happens to be different, though it is often associated with unfair or bad treatment of a particular person or group of people.

Discrimination in housing is often used to describe bad treatment toward a person or group seeking to find, rent, or purchase a home. Iowa law prohibits discrimination in housing based on certain characteristics. Federal law also prohibits discrimination in housing, and some local laws do as well. Discrimination often occurs where action is taken against someone seeking housing based on their race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, or familial status in a way prohibited by the Iowa Code, local law, or federal law.

For more information, please visit our page "Who is Protected from Housing Discrimination?"