Exemptions to the fair housing act do not apply to which basis?

• A. Race
• B. Color
• C. Religion
• D. National Origin

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the Fair Housing Act protects people from housing discrimination based on several specific characteristics, and there are only very narrow private exemptions in limited situations. But those exemptions do not justify discrimination on the basis of race. Race is protected, and you cannot rely on an exemption to refuse housing to someone because of their race. In practice, even if a private owner may fall within a narrowly defined exemption for other scenarios (like certain private, owner-occupied housing), racial bias cannot be exempted and remains illegal. The same act also protects other bases such as color, religion, and national origin, but the important point here is that race cannot be shielded by an exemption.