Two federal laws, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA), offer protections against discrimination.
The ECOA forbids credit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or whether you receive income from a public assistance program. Creditors may ask you for most of this information in certain situations, but they may not use it as a reason to deny you credit or to set the terms of your credit. They are never allowed to ask your religion. Everyone who participates in the decision to grant credit or in setting the terms of that credit, including real estate brokers who arrange financing, must comply with the ECOA.
The FHA forbids discrimination in all aspects of residential real-estate related transactions, including:
- making loans to buy, build, repair, or improve a place to live;
- selling, brokering, or appraising residential real estate; and
- selling or renting a place to live
The FHA also forbids discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicaps, or familial status. That’s defined as children under 18 living with a parent or legal guardian, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under 18. Source: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0188-mortgage-discrimination