June 2010 Coach's Quiz

May 31, 2010

We have given you six rules to ensure your advertising and marketing practices comply with fair housing law. Now let's look at how the rules might apply in the real world. Take the COACH's Quiz to see what you have learned.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each of the following questions has only one correct answer. On a separate piece of paper, write down the number of each question, followed by the answer you think is correct—for example, 1)b, 2)a, and so on. The correct answers (with explanations) follow the quiz. Good luck!

We have given you six rules to ensure your advertising and marketing practices comply with fair housing law. Now let's look at how the rules might apply in the real world. Take the COACH's Quiz to see what you have learned.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each of the following questions has only one correct answer. On a separate piece of paper, write down the number of each question, followed by the answer you think is correct—for example, 1)b, 2)a, and so on. The correct answers (with explanations) follow the quiz. Good luck!

QUESTION #1

Though it will depend on the context, you could trigger a fair housing complaint if your advertising includes these words or phrases (list all that apply):

  1. Able bodied

  2. Adult atmosphere

  3. Bedrooms (number of)

  4. Children (number of)

  5. Christian community

  6. Desirable neighborhood

  7. Empty-nesters

  8. Ethnic neighborhood

  9. Family room

  10. Foreigners

  11. Handicapped accessible

  12. Ideal for singles

  13. Mother-in-law suite

  14. Private setting

  15. Professional male preferred

  16. Perfect for single female

  17. Quiet neighborhood

  18. Within walking distance of temple

QUESTION #2

None of the words or phrases listed in Question #1 could trigger a fair housing complaint if you advertise only on the Internet and in social media sites. True or false?

  1. True

  2. False.

QUESTION #3

If your community has a large population of Korean residents, then you can't get into fair housing trouble if you run ads only in Korean-language media and Web sites. True or false?

  1. True

  2. False.

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COACH'S ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS

QUESTION #1

Correct answers: a, b, d, e, g, h, j, l, o, p, r

Reason: Rules #1 and #2 apply here:

Rule #1: Choose Your Words (and Graphics) Carefully

Rule #2: Describe the Property, Not the Population

Depending on the context, use of these words or phrases could trigger a fair housing claim that your community has a preference for or against individuals based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

Wrong answers explained: c, f, i, k, m, n, q

In general, use of these words or phrases is unlikely to trigger accusations of discriminatory advertising because they describe the property, not the kind of people who may want to live there.

QUESTION #2

Correct answer: b

Reason: Rules #4 and #5 apply here:

Rule #5: Apply the Same Rules to Online Advertising

Rule #6: Remember the Rules When Venturing into New Media

For communities, the fair housing rules are the same, regardless of whether your advertising appears in print or on the Internet. You could face liability if your online ads reflect an unlawful preference for or against potential residents based on a characteristic protected under federal, state, and local law. As far as social media is concerned, fair housing experts believe that fan pages on Facebook and other forms of social media could be considered advertising, triggering potential liability under fair housing law.

QUESTION #3

Correct answer: b

Reason: Rules #4 and #5 apply here:

Rule #4: Practice Inclusive Marketing

Rule #5: Apply the Same Rules to Online Advertising

Unless it is part of a broad, inclusive marketing campaign, you could trigger a fair housing complaint by target marketing in only Korean-language media and Web sites. In general, the law permits you to market to certain groups only if it's part of a broad and inclusive marketing campaign and you have a valid, nondiscriminatory reason for doing so. In general, that means that if your community has a large population of Korean residents—and you did nothing to create or encourage the situation—you may include Korean-language outlets as part of a wider, diverse marketing campaign.

See The Lesson For This Quiz

Advertising In The Modern Age: How To Ensure Compliance With Fair Housing Law

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