The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), MCL 37.2101 et seq., prohibits any form of housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, familial status, age, height, or weight. MCL 37.2502. The ELCRA, which covers housing and other real estate, recognizes and declares the opportunity to obtain housing to be a basic civil right.
In addition to the ELCRA, the Persons With Disabilities Civil Rights Act (PWDCRA), MCL 37.1101 et seq., guarantees the opportunity to obtain housing or other real estate without discrimination because of disability.
Both the PWDCRA and the ELCRA exclude from coverage one- and two-family dwellings where the owner or a member of the owner’s immediate family occupies the property. MCL 37.1503; MCL 37.2503(1)(a). The ELCRA alone excludes those dwellings for which the owner is only temporarily leasing the home following his or her immediate prior occupancy of the premises. MCL 37.2503(1)(b). In addition, the ELCRA permits owners to establish senior citizens housing for persons 50 years of age or older. MCL 37.2503(1)(c).
Federal law also precludes discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, and familial status.1 See 42 USC 3604.
1 See Section 5.5 for information on the Fair Housing Act and civil rights violations.