I'm a middle age white male, so I know PLENTY about housing discrimination!

I kid, of course, people would love to have me rent from them. I don't have any little kids and my last name isn't Thunderhawk. I do have two dogs but that can be cured by kicking up the security deposit. Whites have all the rights and I'm sure we can all agree that isn't right. Fortunately, there are many private agencies that actually know PLENTY about housing discrimination. Inforum reports on this sting-operation.

In Bismarck, a white woman was shown a spacious and fancy first floor apartment as well as a smaller basement apartment.

Later on the same day, a Native American woman was only shown the basement apartment, and told there were no other units available.

Shortly after that, the white woman called back and was told the first floor apartment was still available.

According to National Fair Housing the leading form of discrimination deals with disability. Followed by race, sexual orientation, family status, national origin, and religion. But there's a new and surprising reason for landlords to look down on your application even if you are white!

Last year experts have seen a 224% rise in complaints related to public assistance.

Yep, that's right.  I would have thought public assistance would be like automatic payments for landlords. Y'know cash you can count on. But it seems some landlords don't want to deal with the extra layer of bureaucracy/paperwork that comes with public assistance. Michelle Rydz, Executive Director of the High Plains Fair Housing Center told this to Public News Service...

"There's been a lot of landlords who are just outright not accepting it," Rydz said. "They're not accepting it for a security deposit, they're requiring income three times the amount of the rent." Rydz said these situations coincide with the state carrying out its Rent Help program and the likelihood that recipients are more aware of their rights

If you feel discriminated against, there are resources available. You can learn more about the Fair Housing Act or use this link to access the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights.


The 5 Most Unpicturesque Cities In North Dakota

8 Unique & Unusual Jobs In BisMan

Here are some jobs you might not have know you could apply for in BisMan

Roadside Dad Jokes North Dakota and Minnesota Will Love

How To Look Forward To Your Daily Commute

More From Super Talk 1270