It is the policy of the State of Georgia to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout this state. The general purposes of this article are: To provide for execution in the state of policies embodied in Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act […]
As used in this article, the term: “Administrator” means the administrator of the Commission on Equal Opportunity created under Article 2 of Chapter 19 of Title 45. “Aggrieved person” means any person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or who believes that he or she will be irrevocably injured by […]
Except as exempted by subsection (b) or (d) of this Code section or Code Section 8-3-205, it shall be unlawful: To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any […]
It shall be unlawful to deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers’ organization, or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings or to discriminate against such person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation on […]
As used in this Code section, the term “residential real estate related transaction” means any of the following: The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance: For purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling; or Secured by residential real estate; or The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property. It […]
Nothing in this article shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons […]
The authority and responsibility for administering this article shall be vested in the administrator of the Commission on Equal Opportunity. The administrator may delegate any of the administrator’s functions, duties, and powers to employees of the Commission on Equal Opportunity or to boards of such employees, including functions, duties, and powers with respect to investigating, […]
The administrator shall commence such educational and conciliatory activities as in the administrator’s judgment will further the purposes of this article. The administrator shall call conferences of persons in the housing industry and other interested parties to acquaint them with this article and the administrator’s suggested means of implementing this article and shall endeavor with […]
An aggrieved person may, not later than one year after an alleged discriminatory housing practice has occurred or terminated, file a complaint with the administrator alleging such discriminatory housing practice. The administrator, on the administrator’s own initiative, may also file such a complaint. Complaints shall be in writing and under oath and shall contain such […]
The administrator shall investigate an alleged discriminatory housing practice and complete such investigation within 100 days after the filing of a complaint unless it is impracticable to do so. If the administrator is unable to complete the investigation within 100 days after the filing of a complaint, the administrator shall notify the complainant and respondent […]
Wherever a local fair housing law provides rights and remedies for alleged discriminatory housing practices which are substantially equivalent, as certified by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as provided in Section 810 of the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, to the rights and remedies provided under this article, the administrator shall […]
The administrator shall, within 100 days after the filing of the complaint, determine based on the facts whether reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, unless it is impracticable to do so or unless the administrator has approved a conciliation agreement with respect to the […]
The administrator may issue subpoenas and order discovery in aid of investigations and hearings under this article. Such subpoenas and discovery may be ordered to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as would apply if the subpoenas or discovery were ordered or served in aid of a civil action in superior court […]
When a charge is issued to initiate an administrative complaint under Code Section 8-3-211, a complainant, a respondent, or an aggrieved person on whose behalf the complaint was filed may elect to have the claims asserted in that charge decided in a civil action brought by the Attorney General on behalf of the aggrieved person […]
If the administrative law judge determines that the respondent has not engaged in a discriminatory housing practice, the administrative law judge shall state the administrative law judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall issue a final order within 30 days after the hearing unless, for good cause shown, such time is extended […]
Any party to a hearing before the administrative law judge may appeal any adverse final order of the administrative law judge by filing a petition for review in the Superior Court of Fulton County within 30 days of the issuance of the final order. The administrative law judge shall not be a named party. The […]
Any person affected by a final order of the administrator may file in the superior court of the county of the residence of the respondent a certified copy of a final order of the administrator unappealed from or of a final order of the administrator affirmed upon appeal, whereupon said court shall render judgment in […]
An aggrieved person may commence a civil action in an appropriate superior court not later than two years after the occurrence or the termination of an alleged discriminatory housing practice or the breach of a conciliation agreement entered into under this article, whichever occurs last, to obtain appropriate relief with respect to such discriminatory housing […]
Whenever the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of any of the rights granted by this article or that any group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted by this article […]
Any court in which a proceeding is instituted under Code Section 8-3-217 or 8-3-218 shall assign the case for hearing at the earliest practicable date and cause the case to be expedited. History. Code 1981, § 8-3-219 , enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1284, § 1.
