Fair Housing and Illegal Housing Discrimination

“Fair Housing” is the name for the federal, state and local civil rights laws that protect all of us from illegal discrimination in housing transactions based on our race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, physical or mental disability, the presence of children under age 18 (familial status), marital status, sexual orientation, domestic violence survivors, legal source of income, or domestic partnership status. Additionally, the City of Eugene also protects against housing discrimination based on ethnicity and age.

Eugene has a Fair Housing Plan that strives to assure that persons of a protected class have choice in the location of their housing.

Fair Housing Help

SETA Tenant Hotline

Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (SETA) provides a free tenant hotline to Eugene residents. SETA is a non-profit, public service organization that is dedicated to renters' rights and interests.

SETA Tenant Hotline: 541-972-3715 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Please leave a voicemail with a brief overview for which you are seeking help. Calls are returned during the week and on weekends.

Fair Housing Council of Oregon

Fair Housing Council of Oregon operates a hotline for housing discrimination and maintains a website with fair housing information. Anyone with a fair housing question can contact the hotline.

Fair Housing Council of Oregon - Hotline: 1-800-424-3247, ext. 2.

Messages and online inquiries are accepted and returned promptly, even though the telephone hotline hours are limited to Fridays from 9 am to 12 pm, noon.

Fair Housing inquiries and complaints may be submitted online, or by sending an email to: Information@fhco.org. More information is available on the Fair Housing Council of Oregon’s website: http://fhco.org.

Oregon Law Center

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The Lane County Legal Aid Office of Oregon Law Center serves the low-income community throughout Lane County. While they do intakes on a wide variety of issues, the cases typically handled are related to housing, benefits, family law and issues of domestic violence. For more information, visit the website: Oregon Law Center.

Oregon Law Center: 541-485-1017 (9 am to noon, and 1-5 pm).

Bureau of Labor and Industries

The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) protects your civil rights at home. You may file a housing discrimination complaint or email help@boli.state.or.us for housing discrimination questions.

BOLI: 971-673-0761 (staffed Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm; messages can be left any time).

Housing and Urban Development
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can be contacted directly with discrimination complaints.

City of Eugene, Equity & Community Engagement

If you believe you have been subject to illegal housing discrimination in the City of Eugene you may request assistance through the City of Eugene Equity & Community Engagement Office. Staff can assist in making referrals and provide access to the appropriate grievance processes.

Telephone Assistance: Staff may be reached by calling: 541-682-5177 or by sending an email to: humanrights@eugene-or.gov.

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Fair Housing Activities

The City of Eugene engages in a number of activities related to fair housing. These activities include: fair housing outreach and education for community members, non-profits, and landlords; contracting with Fair Housing Council of Oregon to support a fair housing hotline; contracting with Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (SETA) to support a tenant hotline and take calls from community members of protected classes, and staffing the Housing Policy Board.