Fair Housing
The Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, prohibit discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin in the sale, rental, leasing, financing and advertising of housing, or in the prevention of real estate brokerage services; and the practice generally known as "block busting" is also illegal.
The Louisiana Open Housing Act (La. R.S 51:2601, et seq.) has been deemed substantially equivalent with the Federal Fair Housing Act. Administration and enforcement of the Act is by the Louisiana Department of Justice, which may receive complaints directly from individual citizens or by referral from Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
To Submit a Complaint
If you write to HUD or the State, you can submit a complaint form or write a letter containing the following information.
Your name and address
The name and address of the person your complaint is about
The address of the house or apartment you were trying to rent or buy
The date when this incident occurred
A short description of what happened
You can also visit HUD's Title VIII Complaint Process page to file a complaint online.
For questions regarding fair housing laws or if you wish to have a representative from the State Attorney General's Office speak to your organization call 800-273-5718.
If you cannot print a copy of the complaint form from your computer, the City-Parish Office of Community Development will provide you with a blank copy of the form and instructions. HUD's Brochure "Fair Housing - It's Your Right" is also available from our office. The Office of Community Development does not file complaints for individuals. Our assistance is available to explain the forms, instructions, and how to send them. You can call us at 225-389-3039, or write to us
Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity Logo
The Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity logo is commonly accepted as the symbol demonstrating support and compliance with the law. You may copy and freely use the symbol on your website or printed materials.
