The Union County Human Relations Commission (UCHRC) is sponsoring a free, virtual, bilingual educational webinar to help residents understand their rights under New Jersey's housing discrimination laws and learn what steps to take if they experience discrimination.

The webinars, presented by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, will be held via Zoom from 6:00PM to 7:30 PM, in English on Monday, November 10th, and in Spanish on Thursday, November 13th.

Pre-registration is required.

"We're proud to partner with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (NJDCR) to offer these webinars," said UCHRC Co-Chair Flor Gonzalez, who also serves as president of Plainfield's Latin American Coalition.

"Housing discrimination in New Jersey is illegal, with strong protections enforced by the NJDCR," she added. "Residents need to know they're protected by two powerful laws - New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination (LAD), and the Fair Chance in Housing Act (FCHA) - and understand what actions they can take if they believe they have been discriminated against."

New Jersey's LAD prohibits housing discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on protected characteristics including a person's race, color, religion, creed, national origin, nationality or ancestry, sex, pregnancy or breastfeeding, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, familial status (such as having children under the age of 18), marital status or domestic partnership/civil union status, military service liability, and/or source of lawful income (including rental assistance such as Section 8.)

"The law applies to all housing providers, including landlords, property managers, real estate agents, brokers, condo associations, and lenders, among others," said UCHRC Co-Chair Chanell Johnson, an Assistant Prosecutor with the Union County Prosecutor's Office, which created the UCHRC in 1991.

"Examples of discrimination include refusing to rent to someone using a housing voucher, advertising "no kids" or "working professionals only," charging higher rent based on race or nationality, or steering tenants to certain areas based on ethnicity," Johnson added.

The webinar will also cover the FCHA, common forms of housing discrimination, and how to file a civil rights complaint through the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights.

Register for the English presentation online at https://shorturl.at/KoamO.

Register for the Spanish presentation online at https://shorturl.at/HVAb3.

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights works to prevent, remedy, and eliminate discrimination and bias-based harassment, and offers a wide variety of Interactive virtual and in-person training. For more information, visit the New Jersey Attorney General's website at https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-on-civil-rights-home/.

For more information about the Union County Human Relations Commission, visit www.ucnj.org/uchrc, or email [email protected] (SUBJECT LINE UCHRC).