Fair Housing Information

Equal Housing OpportunityThe City of Defiance is a member of the Maumee Valley Fair Housing Consortium, which serves Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, and Williams Counties. The Housing Consortium is housed at Maumee Valley Planning Organization.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces the Fair Housing Act, which protects you against violations of your housing rights and prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of:

  • Ancestry
  • Color
  • Disability
  • Familial Status
  • Military Status
  • National Origin
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Sex

Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act also prohibits discrimination in mortgage lending, the sale or rental of real estate, and insurance coverage. There are many illegal housing discriminatory practices. However, you have the right to:

  • Seek housing anywhere you can afford to live
  • Inspect any house or apartment that is offered for rent or sale
  • Be offered the same information, financial and insurance terms, and courtesy as everyone

Copies of Fair Housing materials in Spanish can be found on HUD's Fair Housing Outreach Tool Website.

Please visit our Fair Housing Complaint Form page if you need to file a complaint online.

Violations

The following are examples of violations of the Fair Housing Act:

  • Refusal to rent, sell, or negotiate for housing, or to otherwise make housing unavailable to certain people.
  • Setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for the sale or rental of a dwelling.
  • Denying anyone access to or membership in a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing.
  • Imposing different terms or conditions on a loan or insurance policy.
  • Refusal to let a tenant make reasonable modifications to his/her dwelling or a common use area, at the tenant's expense, if necessary for a person with disabilities to use the housing. *Where reasonable, the landlord may permit changes on the condition that the tenant restores to its original condition when he/she moves out.
  • Refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services necessary for a person with disabilities to use the housing. (Example: An exception to a "no pets" policy for a tenant with a service/companion animal.)

Protecting your right to seek housing anywhere you can afford to live.

Notice a new Pothole in Defiance?

Please report a pothole via email to notify our Street Division of pothole locations. Include the street name along with address number or nearest intersecting street.