Fair Lending Discrimination
Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, lenders or individuals involved in the financing of housing are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, familial status, religious creed, ancestry, handicap or disability, age, sex, national origin, the use of a guide or support animal. A lender commits discriminatory lending practices when he or she does one of the following:
- refuses to make a mortgage loan on the basis of the protected classes;
- steers an applicant toward a bad mortgage loan product on the basis of the protected classes;
- imposes different terms or conditions on a mortgage loan, such as different interest rates, points, or fees on the basis of the protected classes; or
- discriminates in appraising property on the basis of the protected classes.
Discrimination complaints may be filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
Posting Requirement
The Pennsylvania Fair Lending Poster must be prominently displayed in a well-lighted, easily accessible place in the office or places of business where mortgage lending transactions are customarily made. (Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, Section 5)
The poster helps inform the public of their rights and responsibilities under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.