As part of the requirement for the Milwaukee County Community Development Block Grant Program, the City is required to inform residents about its Fair Housing Ordinance, Chapter 125 of the City's Municipal Code.
Chapter 125: FAIR HOUSING (City of Franklin Municipal Code)
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Franklin 8-5-1997 by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Ch. 24 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
§125-1. Intent.
A. It is the intent of this chapter to prohibit discrimination in housing. It is the declared policy of this City that all persons shall have an equal opportunity for housing regardless of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, as defined in 111.32(13m), Wis. Stats., handicap, sex or marital status of the person maintaining a household, lawful source of income, age or ancestry, and it is the duty of this City to assist in the orderly prevention or removal of all discrimination in housing through the powers granted under the Wisconsin Statutes. This chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police powers of the City for the protection of the welfare, health, peace, dignity and human rights of the people of this City.
B. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit an owner or his or her agent from requiring that any person who seeks to buy, rent or lease housing supply information concerning his or her family and financial and business status.
§125-2. Definitions.
In this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words shall be defined as follows:
DISCRIMINATE AND DISCRIMINATION — To segregate, separate, exclude or treat any person unequally only because of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, as defined in § 111.32(13m), Wis. Stats., handicap, sex or marital status of the person maintaining a household, lawful source of income, age or ancestry. It is intended that the factors set forth herein shall be the sole basis for prohibiting discrimination.
HOUSING — Any improved property, including any mobile home as defined in § 66.0435, Wis. Stats., which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied as a home or residence. [Amended 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-1708]
UNIMPROVED RESIDENTIAL LOT — Any residential lot upon which no permanent building or structure containing living quarters has been constructed.
§125-3. Discrimination prohibited.
No person shall discriminate:
A. By refusing to sell, lease, finance or contract to construct housing or by refusing to discuss the terms thereof.
B. By refusing to permit inspection or exacting different or more stringent price, terms of conditions for the sale, lease or rental of housing.
C. By refusing to finance or sell an unimproved residential lot or to construct a home or residence upon such lot.
D. By publishing, circulating, issuing or displaying or causing to be published, circulated, issued or displayed any communication, notice, advertisement or sign in connection with the sale, financing, lease or rental of housing which states or indicates any discrimination in connection with housing.
§125-4. Enforcement.
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by the City Attorney. The City Attorney, upon receipt of a complaint verified by the complainant, may issue a complaint if in his or her judgment an action of discrimination is sustainable in court.
§125-5. Violations and penalties.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, §1-19.