§ 3560.2 Civil rights. ( a ) As per the Fair Housing Act, as amended and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all actions taken by recipients of loans and grants will be conducted without regard to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, age, or disability. These actions include any actions in the sale, rental, or advertising of the dwellings, in the provision of brokerage services, or in residential real estate transactions involving Rural Housing Service (RHS) assistance. It is unlawful for a borrower or grantee or an agent of a borrower or grantee: ( 1 ) To refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services that would provide a person with a disability an opportunity to use or continue to use a dwelling unit and all public and common use areas; or
( 2 ) To refuse to provide a reasonable accommodation at the borrower's expense that would not cause an undue financial or administrative burden, or to refuse to allow an individual with a disability to make reasonable modifications to the unit at their own expense with the understanding that the owner may require the tenant to return the unit to its original condition when the unit is vacated by the tenant making the modifications (see § 3560.104(c)).
( b ) Borrowers and grantees must take reasonable steps to ensure that Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons receive the language assistance necessary to afford them meaningful access to USDA programs and activities, free of charge. Failure to ensure that LEP persons can effectively participate in or benefit from federally-assisted programs and activities may violate the prohibition under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d and Title VI regulations against national origin discrimination. USDA has issued guidance to clarify the responsibilities of recipients and subrecipients who receive financial assistance from USDA and to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities to LEP persons under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, as amended, and implementing regulations.
( c ) Any tenant/member or prospective tenant seeking occupancy in or use of facilities financed by the Agency who believes he or she is being discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability may file a complaint in person with, or by mail to the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20410. Complaints received by Agency employees must be directed to the National Office Civil Rights staff through the State Civil Rights Manager/Coordinator.
( d ) Borrowers or grantees that fail to comply with the requirements of federal civil rights requirements are subject to sanctions authorized by law. The following are the major civil rights laws affecting multifamily housing loan and grant programs: ( 1 ) Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).
( 2 ) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
( 3 ) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
( 4 ) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
( 5 ) Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
( 6 ) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.