HOUSING DISCRIMINATION UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACT
Housing discrimination is illegal in nearly all housing, including private housing, public housing, and housing that receives federal funding.
The Fair Housing Act: The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities. Additional protections apply to federally-assisted housing:
Filing a Complaint with HUD
To file an online complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), or to access the HUD complaint form in Spanish, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, or Vietnamese, visit the HUD FHEO page (hud.gov) or contact the Local HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (“FHEO”) office in the State of Texas:
Fort Worth Regional Office of FHEO (HUD Fair Housing Hub, Fort Worth, TX)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
801 Cherry Street, Unit #45, Suite 2500
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
(817) 978-5900 or (800) 669-9777
TTY (817) 978-5595
U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Houston)
Phone: (713) 718-3199 Fax: (713)718-3255
TTY: (713) 718-3289
The Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”) is the entity responsible for enforcing the Fair Housing Act in the State of Texas. You have one year after an alleged violation to file a complaint, but you should file it as soon as possible. The following information will be requested:
• Your name and address
• The name and address of the person your complaint is against (the Respondent)
• The address or other identification of the housing involved
• A short description of the alleged violation (the event that caused you to believe your rights were violated)
• The date(s) of the alleged violation
Complaints can be filed by email, fax, phone call, hand delivery or mail:
Texas Workforce Commission: Civil Rights Division, 800-628-5115
HousingComplaint@twc.state.tx.us
Download the TWC Complaint Form (www.twc.state.tx.us).
Greater Houston Fair Housing Center: 713-641-3247
Office of the Texas Attorney General: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection
Lone Star Legal Aid: Must meet low-income requirements 713- 652-0077
University of Houston Law Center: Civil Justice Clinic 713-743-2094
Thurgood Marshall School of Law Legal Clinics (TSU): 713-313-7275
The South Texas College of Law Houston Clinical Programs and The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics: If you would like to apply for Legal Assistance, please contact them directly by calling (713) 646-2990.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program: www.makejusticehappen.org 713-228-0735
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): http://www.consumerfinance.gov
Consumer Help: 855-411-CFPB (2372) TTY/TDD: 855-729-CFPB (2372)
To file an Online complaint: www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint
Protecting Your Identity: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/identity-theft
Are you a Victim of Identity Theft or Fraud?
IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process. https://www.identitytheft.gov/
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program: Legal Services Intake Line 713-228-0732
Are you a Victim of Fraud?
If you have become or are likely to become a victim of fraud, you may add a fraud alert by calling the Fraud Victim Assistance Department toll-free at 800-680-7289.
IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The
site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process.
https://www.identitytheft.gov/
CFPB: “What protections do I have against credit discrimination?”: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/fair-lending/
The Houston Bar Association LEGAL Resource Guide: https://hlrs.org/wp-content/uploads/Legal-Resources-2023.pdf
Houston Bar Association: Consumer Law Handbook: https://texaslawhelp.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/2019-20-consumer-law-handbook.pdf
TexasLawHelp.org is dedicated to providing free and reliable legal information to Texans. https://texaslawhelp.org/
Wills and Texas Transfer on Death Deeds: TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED: Composed by TexasLawHelp.org • Last Updated on October 30, 2024
https://guides.sll.texas.gov/wills-and-directives/transfer-property-after-death
https://texaslawhelp.org/article/transfer-on-death-deeds-todds
“A Transfer on Death Deed, or TODD, is a simple way to transfer real estate to someone else after you die. With a properly recorded Transfer on Death Deed, no probate is needed to transfer the real property. If you don’t have a Transfer on Death Deed, your real estate must go through the probate court before your property will pass to your heirs. Probate can be lengthy and expensive, with attorney fees and court costs paid from your estate. With a Transfer on Death Deed, you can avoid probate and decide in advance who should inherit your real property interest.
How does a Transfer on Death Deed work?
A Transfer on Death Deed lets you keep all ownership rights to the property during your lifetime, so you can sell it or use is as collateral on a loan. The Transfer on Death Deed takes effect upon your death, so the property never becomes part of your estate. When you die, your property interest passes to the person you named in the Transfer on Death Deed (the “beneficiary”) without any probate action.
You can name more than one beneficiary, and you can change the beneficiary at any time by canceling the Transfer on Death Deed or making a new one. You do not need to tell the beneficiary of the Transfer on Death Deed about any changes that you make to it.
If you are a joint owner, you can transfer your interest to another joint owner (your spouse, for example), or to non-owners (for example, your grandchildren) by naming them as Transfer on Death Deed beneficiaries. After you die, the beneficiary should file an Affidavit of Death in the deed records to ensure clear title.”
MissingMoney.com is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. Conduct a free multi-state search by going directly to https://www.missingmoney.com You should search in every state where you have lived.