roommate

You can’t write an ad that says you want to live with a female, gay person, Christian, or whatever category you might really care about. That’s illegal. The law says you may not make a public discriminatory statement about your preferences. While this may seem crazy, you do get to decide who you live with. Stick with me.

In the United States, housing sales and rentals are governed by The Fair Housing Act (FHA), a law first passed in 1968 to prevent sellers and landlords from discriminating against people based on “race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability).” See more here. It’s a good law that has changed housing in this country.

It has the unintended consequence of raising the issue of whether you can discriminate about whom you live with inside a dwelling. [click to continue…]

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When Your Children Are Your Housemates: Return of the Boomerang Kids

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Ashley Grande tried to make it in Boston, the city of her dreams. She worked in town as a restaurant shift supervisor, earning $10 an hour for 40 hours a week, no overtime permitted. She lived humbly, sharing an apartment with three others her age. Each of the roommates paid $450 a month before utilities, [...]

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Seniors Homing Together: Radio Interview

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An interview with on Michele Fiasca on Homing Together. In this thirty-minute interview Michele and her business partner, Zoe, talk about the advantages of sharing housing for people of all ages, not just seniors. It’s fascinating to hear them talk about so many of the aspects of sharing housing that I describe in my book. [...]

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What Everyone Ought to Know about Roommate Ads

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You are looking for one person. Out of an entire crowd of potential housemates, you are looking for one that suits you. So you have to write an ad that speaks to that person. What follows is a great ad. (Found In Craigslist.) Can you tell what makes it great? ______________________________________ Subject: Future Awesome Housemate. [...]

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Rent a Room in a Mansion?

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Looks who’s doubling up! Owners of mansions are sharing their homes. Alyssa Abkowitz on SmartMoney.com tells the tale, including her experience staying in two mansions, one in Washington state, the other in Florida. And there are quite a few more mansion owners, who weren’t willing to be named in the article. Related Posts:What the Fair [...]

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