A family in Florida has been subjected to different rental terms and threatened to be evicted because they have six children, thereby violating the Fair Housing Act.
It's alleged that to comply with an occupancy policy that allowed only six people to live in a four-bedroom house, the Kings Lake Homeowners Association Inc and Vanguard Management Group Inc asked the family to reduce the number of occupants or face eviction.
According to reports, nearly three months after the family moved in to a house at Kings Lake, which they had taken on a one-year lease agreement, the family received a letter from the homeowners association's attorney informing them that King's Lake would begin eviction proceedings if they didn't comply with the county's occupancy standards within 30 days.
“Overly restrictive occupancy policies may unlawfully discriminate against families with children by preventing them from living in a home,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stated in a press release.
The Department also announced that it is charging the Gibsonton homeowners association and its Tampa-based former management company, for it found that Kings Lake HOA's occupancy policy prevented a significant percentage of Florida families from living in its housing estate.
"Homeowners associations and management companies have an obligation to ensure that their occupancy standards do not violate the Fair Housing Act," said John Trasvina, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "HUD is committed to taking action against anyone who unlawfully denies housing to families because of the number of children in the family."
