GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

H                                                                                                                                                   2

HOUSE BILL 721*

Committee Substitute Favorable 4/23/09

 

Short Title:        Carrboro/Housing Discrimination.

(Local)

Sponsors:

 

Referred to:

 

March 23, 2009

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT amending the charter of the town of carrboro to allow the town to adopt ordinances prohibiting Housing discrimination on the basis of familial status AND handicap.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Section 10-1 of the Charter of the Town of Carrboro, being Chapter 476 of the 1987 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

"Section 10-1. Housing Discrimination. The board of aldermen may adopt ordinances designed to ensure that all housing opportunities in the Town of Carrboro shall be equally available to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex orsex, national origin. origin, familial status, or handicap. Such ordinances may regulate or prohibit any act, practice, activity or procedure related directly or indirectly to the sale or rental of public or private housing that affects or may tend to affect the availability or desirability of housing on an equal basis to all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sex orsex, national origin.origin, familial status, or handicap. However, ordinances adopted pursuant to the authority contained in this act shall not apply to the rental of rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters as his residence. Any ordinance passed pursuant to this authorization may be enforced by any method authorized for enforcement of ordinances generally in G.S. 160A-175. In addition, any ordinance adopted pursuant to this authorization may provide that any person aggrieved by any act, practice, activity or procedure prohibited by such ordinance may seek equitable relief in the appropriate division of the General Court of Justice."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.