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This month's lesson surveys fair housing protections on the state and local level. Usually, our focus is on federal fair housing law, since it applies nationwide, but most states and numerous local governments have enacted their own fair housing laws that ban housing discrimination. Many have expanded the list of protected characteristics far beyond those covered under federal law.

This month's lesson takes a broad look at who is protected under fair housing law. Most of the time, we focus on the rules banning discrimination against prospects, applicants, and residents because of their race, religion, or other protected characteristic. But the law reaches far beyond those individuals to protect others, including a resident's family, friends, and guests—even your employees, in some cases.

In this special issue of Fair Housing Coach, we'll update you on recent developments in fair housing law in Washington, state legislatures, and the courts.

The 1967 Beatles song “When I'm 64” was written by Paul McCartney—some say when he was only 16 years old. No doubt 64 seemed old to the teenaged songwriter, but millions of “baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—probably would disagree, as the first of that generation turns 64 this year.

This month, we tackle a difficult problem—what to do if domestic violence affects your community. If you haven't already been confronted with this problem, it's likely that you will be because of the staggering number of domestic violence incidents that occur each year in the United States. As Attorney General Eric Holder recently observed, “We know domestic violence is an epidemic that affects communities across this country regardless of age, race, or socio-economic background.”

This month, we are going to focus on avoiding discrimination claims based on religion. Housing communities face particular fair housing challenges this time of year, when many residents celebrate a number of religions' holidays. Fair housing law does not prevent you from celebrating the season—as long as your community doesn't appear to be promoting any particular religious holiday or favoring one religion over another.

This month, we are going to look at fair housing compliance related to the operation and management of the leasing office, common areas, and amenities, such as pools and fitness centers, within your community.

In this special issue of Fair Housing Coach, we'll update you on some recent court developments involving the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

In some recent decisions, courts have weighed in on both sides of the simmering dispute over whether and to what extent the FHA applies to conduct that occurs after the sale or rental of a dwelling. HUD's position is that the FHA bans discrimination and retaliation that occurs both before and after a person buys or rents a dwelling.