Marin County prohibits unfair housing practices in the rental, sale, or financing of housing because of a person's race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, gender, parental status, marital status, religion, participation in Section 8 voucher program or other similar government housing subsidy programs, sexual orientation (includes gender identity), and age.
Fair Housing laws are federal and state laws that protect Marin County residents from discriminatory housing practices. These laws may be violated if you are treated differently than other tenants or prospective tenants because of one or more of your class attributes.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC) provides free housing discrimination counseling services, intervention and complaint investigation to clients of all protected classes, including immigrants, people with disabilities, seniors, families with children, and other clients protected under fair housing law. Services include fair housing training for housing providers, tenants, and staff of social service agencies. FHANC sponsors a variety of programs to educate the community at large about fair housing issues. FHANC also offers information to housing providers about affirmative marketing. For information, call (415) 457-5025 or email Caroline Peattie.
Legal Aid of Marin provides high quality legal representation and advocacy, information, referral, advice, community education, and other assistance to low-income and senior residents of Marin County. In particular, Legal Aid of Marin seeks to assist Marin County's most vulnerable residents, particularly with problems related to housing, employment, child dependency, domestic violence prevention, and debtor rights.
Mediation Services offers the public an alternative to court as a way of resolving disputes in a variety of areas. Professionally trained and experienced Mediators help to facilitate resolutions for parties in conflict.
Marin Housing Authority (MHA) provides decent, safe and sanitary housing for low and moderate income people. MHA administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, owns and manages Housing units, the Supportive Housing Department, and the Below Market Rate Home Ownership program (BMR).