Housing

Sec. 16-55. Unlawful housing practices.
It shall be an unlawful housing practice:

(a) For any owner, lessee, sub-lessee, assignee, managing agent, real estate agent, or other person having the right to sell, rent, lease, or manage a housing accommodation or an agent of any of those:

(1) To discriminate or directly or indirectly make or cause to be made any written or oral inquiry concerning race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin of any prospective purchaser, occupant, or tenant of such housing accommodation;

(2) To discriminate or directly or indirectly to refuse to sell, rent, lease, let or otherwise deny to or withhold from any individual, such housing accommodation because of the race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin of such individual;

(3) To discriminate or directly or indirectly print or publish or cause to be printed or published, circulated, broadcasted, issued, used, displayed, posted, or mailed any written, printed or painted or oral communication, notice or advertisement relating to the sale, rental, lease or let of such housing accommodation which indicates any preference, denial, limitation, specification, qualification, or discrimination, based upon race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age or country of ancestral origin;

(4) To directly or indirectly discriminate against any person because of his or her race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin in the terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale, rental, lease, or let of any such housing accommodation or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith;

(b) For any person to whom application is made for a loan or other form of financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation, whether secured or unsecured;

(1) To discriminate or to directly or indirectly make or cause to be made any written or oral inquiry concerning the race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin of any individual seeking such financial assistance, or of existing or prospective occupants or tenants of such housing accommodation, nor shall any such person to whom such application is made, directly or indirectly discriminate in the terms, conditions or privileges relating to the obtaining or use of any such financial assistance against any applicant because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin of such applicant, or of the existing or prospective occupants or tenants thereof;

(2) To discriminate or to directly or indirectly deny or limit such application for financial assistance on the basis of an appraiser's, whether independent or not, evaluation of the property or neighborhood under consideration, when such evaluation is based on discriminatory criteria;

(c) For any person, agent, firm, corporation or association, whether or not acting for monetary gain, to directly or indirectly induce, attempt to induce, prevent or attempt to prevent the sale, purchase, rental, or letting of any housing accommodation by:
(1) Implicit or explicit representations regarding the existing or potential proximity of real property owned, used, or occupied by persons of any particular race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(2) Implicit or explicit representations regarding the effects or consequences of any such existing or potential proximity, including but not limited to the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior, or a decline in the quality of schools or other facilities;

(3) Implicit or explicit false representations regarding the availability of suitable housing within a particular neighborhood or area, or failure to disclose or offer to show all properties listed or held for sale, rent, lease, or let within a requested price range, regardless of location, so as to promote the continuance or maintenance of segregated housing or so to retard, obstruct, or discourage integrated housing on or in any street, block, or neighborhood.

(d) Except where based on a valid affirmative action program or record keeping or reporting requirements:

(1) For any person, agent, manager, owner, or developer of any apartment or housing unit, complex, or development, whether commercial or residential to directly or indirectly make or keep a record of any applicant's, prospective tenant's, or tenant's race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(2) To use any form of housing or loan application which contain questions or entries directly or indirectly pertaining to race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin;

(3) Establish, announce, or follow a pattern, practice, or policy of denying, excluding or limiting by any means whatsoever housing accommodations to any group because of the race or color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, age, country of ancestral origin of such group;

(e) For any person to discriminate in any manner against any individual, or deny that individual because he or she has opposed any practice forbidden by this article, or because he or she has made a charge, testified, or assisted in any manner in any investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this article;

(f) For any person, whether or not acting for monetary gain, to aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any act declared by this section to be unlawful housing practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this article or any regulations or issued thereunder, or to attempt directly or indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful housing practice;

(g) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the operation or establishment of housing facilities designed for the exclusive use of the aged or elderly and/or disabled, nor to prohibit the establishment of programs assigned to meet the needs of circumstances of handicapped disabled persons.