Georgia's web site guide to free legal information and legal services.

Housing >  View All Subtopics   Read information about your legal rights. There are 161 resources Page 2 of 4   Choosing the Right Loan      Looking for the Best Mortgage (Separate Website) Shopping around for a home loan or mortgage will help you to get the best financing deal. A mortgage--whether it?s a home purchase, a refinancing, or a home equity loan--is a product, just like a car, so the price and terms may be negotiable. You?ll want to compare all the costs involved in obtaining a mortgage. Shopping, comparing, and negotiating may save you thousands of dollars. Skip to By: Federal Reserve Board     Read this in: Spanish / Español           EarnBenefits Online (Separate Website) How to get free checking accounts, homebuying resources, repairing your credit By: Seedco        Community Planning, Land Use, and Zoning      Housing Development On-Line Resources and Tools (Separate Website) Welcome to The Enterprise Foundation's Housing Developer Support System (HDSS), the comprehensive guide to affordable rental and homeownership housing development for nonprofit organizations. The Housing Developer Support System is a one-stop shop designed to equip nonprofit organizations with the appropriate information and tools to improve, or expand, their affordable housing production systems. By: The Enterprise Foundation           Multi Family Housing Finance and Development Programs (Separate Website) This web page provides information about affordable rental housing development financing programs operated by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Programs descibed on this page include: the HOME Rental Housing Loan Program, Housing Tax Credit Program, HOME CHDO Predevelopment Loan Program, Permanent Supportive Housing Program, and the Rural Rental Housing Development Fund. These DCA rental housing finance programs work with for-profit, nonprofit and government partners to build or rehabilitate rental housing in Georgia. Funding is available to private sector for profit and nonprofit developers through DCA?s Office of Affordable Housing. By: Georgia Department of Community Affairs        Discrimination in Housing     Housing Discrimination      Discrimination in Housing (Answers to Common Questions about Fair Housing Laws) Find housing-related information for people with disabilities in this section of the DisabilityInfo.gov web site, including: Accessibility, Housing Options, Links to Laws and Policy, and Your Housing Rights. By: DisabilityInfo.gov     Other Formats:   Separate Website           Fair Housing Law in Georgia Prohibits Discrimination in Housing This document describes the basic fair housing laws that prohibit discrimination in housing in Georgia. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             Federal Protections Against Discrimination Based on National Origin (Separate Website) Federal laws prohibit discrimination based on a person's national origin, race, gender, color, disability, religion, or familial status. This document explains your rights in more detail. By: U.S. Department of Justice     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Georgia Fair Housing Law (Separate Website) The Georgia Fair Housing Law prohibits discrimination in housing and housing-related activities because of a person?s race, color, national origin, sex, familial Status (children under 18), and disability. By: Georgia Department of Community Affairs     Read this in: Spanish / Español           How to File a Housing Discrimination Complaint with HUD (Separate Website) Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint. By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)     Read this in: Spanish / Español          Your Rights      Getting Uncle Sam to Enforce Your Civil Rights (Separate Website) If you believe that you have been discriminated against and want to file a complaint with the Federal Government, this resource describes where and when to file your complaint. By: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights     Read this in: Spanish / Español           Guide to Disability Rights Laws (Separate Website) This document, last updated August 2001, explains each of the Federal civil rights laws protecting people with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Telecommunications Act, Fair Housing Act, Air Carrier Access Act, Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, National Voter Registration Act, Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Rehabilitation Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act. The document contains other sources of disability rights information as well. By: U.S. Department of Justice           Housing Codes City and county housing codes are designed to keep neighborhoods in decent, safe and sanitary condition. The housing code sets the rules for basic upkeep and maintenance for decent housing. These rules are designed to prevent or correct problems that may cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions. The code applies to all housing in your city or county. It can be very helpful to renters and homeowners. You can use the housing code to complain about bad housing conditions and other neighborhood problems. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Spanish / Español           Housing-Related Information for People with Disabilities (Separate Website) Find housing-related information for people with disabilities in this section of the DisabilityInfo.gov web site, including: Accessibility, Housing Options, Links to Laws and Policy, and Your Housing Rights. By: First Gov - Your First Click is the U.S. Government           Tenants' Rights As a tenant, you have rights, but you also have responsibilities. For your own protection, there are some things you need to do before you even sign the lease, while you are renting and when you move out. There are also things you need to know if your landlord tries to evict you. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Spanish / Español           Basic Standards for Farmworker Housing This document is meant to be a guide for farmworkers who live in agricultural labor camps. The list does not include every standard contained in the federal regulations. These regulations apply only to persons who own or control a facility used to house migrant agricultural workers. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Read this in: Spanish / Español        Evictions     Eviction Process      Eviction (Answers to Common Questions) This document answers questions that many people have about eviction and the eviction process. By: Georgia Legal Services Program             How to Answer An Eviction Warrant Under Georgia Law you can be evicted if: (1) You do not pay your rent, (3) You break your lease, or (3) You do not move out at the end of your lease. However, your landlord must follow the law to evict you. Your landlord cannot change your locks. Your landlord cannot put your things in the street. Your landlord must take you to court. When this happens, you will get an eviction or dispossessory warrant. You can answer this warrant and tell your side of the story. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Korean / 한국어 , Spanish / Español           How to Appeal From a Magistrate Court Dispossessory If you lost your dispossessory trial in magistrate court, the judge will issue an order for you to be removed from the property (called a writ of possession). The judge may also hold that you owe your landlord money for rent and/or other charges. You have seven (7) days from the date of the judgment (usually the day of your hearing) to file your appeal. You can check with the court to find out when your appeal must be filed. If you do not file an appeal, your landlord can use the writ of possession and have you removed from his property no earlier than the eighth (8th) day following your trial. If the judge puts in his order that you owe your landlord money, your landlord may try to collect that money by garnishing your paycheck, back accounts or property. The landlord may also use a collection agency to try and collect the money from you. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Other Formats:   WPD File           How to File a Dispossessory Answer If a Landlord wants a tenant to move out of rental property and the tenant will not voluntarily move, the landlord must go to court and seek an order permitting the tenant to be removed from the property. Once the terms of the lease have been followed, Georgia law requires the landlord to demand or request that the tenant immediately give up possession and vacate. This demand is best made in writing. If the tenant refuses or fails to give up possession, the landlord can file a Dispossessory Affidavit. While the legal process can take several weeks, self help evictions, including changing the locks or threatening the tenant, are illegal under Georgia law. A landlord who suspends a tenant's utility service prior to the final judgment in a dispossessory action has broken the law and may be subject to a fine up to $500 under Georgia Law found at O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1. A tenant can take legal action against the landlord for damages suffered due to a wrongful self-help eviction. If the tenant cannot obtain an attorney, the claim can be filed in the magistrate court of the county where the landlord is located or as a counterclaim in the dispossessory action brought by the landlord. By: Georgia Legal Services Program       Other Formats:   WPD File          Related Information      Housing Codes City and county housing codes are designed to keep neighborhoods in decent, safe and sanitary condition. The housing code sets the rules for basic upkeep and maintenance for decent housing. These rules are designed to prevent or correct problems that may cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions. The code applies to all housing in your city or county. It can be very helpful to renters and homeowners. You can use the housing code to complain about bad housing conditions and other neighborhood problems. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Spanish / Español           Tenants' Rights As a tenant, you have rights, but you also have responsibilities. For your own protection, there are some things you need to do before you even sign the lease, while you are renting and when you move out. There are also things you need to know if your landlord tries to evict you. By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society       Read this in: Spanish / Español