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This month’s lesson takes a look at a “hot topic” in fair housing circles: the use of criminal background checks in screening prospective residents.

This issue of Fair Housing Coach focuses on conventional housing communities, but federal law imposes specific requirements with respect to screening and admissions based on criminal history in public and HUD-assisted housing communities. HUD Chief Shaun Donovan recently addressed those requirements—and the need to balance the needs of ex-offenders to return to their families in stable housing while ensuring the safety of all residents.

This month's lesson discusses federal, state, and local laws protecting military service members, veterans, and their families. In the context of fair housing, the laws in some states and municipalities specifically list military or veteran status as a protected characteristic, and some fair housing experts believe those protections are likely to be adopted on the federal level in the near future.

This month's lesson discusses how to avoid discrimination based on source of income, a catchall phrase that generally refers to lawful sources of income, such as wages, alimony, and public assistance. The Fair Housing Act (FHA) does not ban discrimination based on source of income, but many state and local governments have adopted some form of protection based on source of income.

This month, we're going to look at how to avoid discrimination based on prospects' or residents' marital status—that is, whether they're married, separated, single, widowed, or divorced.