Which would NOT be protected under the handicap status of the Fair Housing Laws?

Which would NOT be protected under the handicap status of the Fair Housing Laws?

• A. Illegal drug users
• B. A person with a physical disability
• C. A person with AIDS
• D. A person with a mental impairment

Answer: (A)

Under the Fair Housing Act, protection from discrimination based on disability applies to people who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, a history of such an impairment, or people who are regarded as having one. This includes conditions like AIDS, other physical disabilities, or mental impairments, and it requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations when needed. The reason the illegal drug user fits the “not protected” category is that current illegal drug use is not considered a disability under the statute. The law protects people with disabilities, not individuals who are actively using illegal drugs. On the other hand, someone with AIDS, someone with a physical disability, and someone with a mental impairment are all examples of disabilities that are protected, so they must be treated in ways consistent with the Act, including possible reasonable accommodations.

Under the Fair Housing Act, protection from discrimination based on disability applies to people who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, a history of such an impairment, or people who are regarded as having one. This includes conditions like AIDS, other physical disabilities, or mental impairments, and it requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations when needed.

The reason the illegal drug user fits the “not protected” category is that current illegal drug use is not considered a disability under the statute. The law protects people with disabilities, not individuals who are actively using illegal drugs. On the other hand, someone with AIDS, someone with a physical disability, and someone with a mental impairment are all examples of disabilities that are protected, so they must be treated in ways consistent with the Act, including possible reasonable accommodations.