Under the Fair Housing Practices Act, a religious organization may limit availability of housing to other members of the same religion unless membership is based on what?

Under the Fair Housing Practices Act, religious organizations are generally allowed to limit the availability of housing to members of their own faith. However, this exemption is constrained by the stipulation that membership cannot be based on certain characteristics. In this context, when considering the characteristics of race, sex, age, and income, sex is particularly significant because discrimination based on sex is prohibited under federal fair housing laws. This means that a religious organization cannot restrict housing based on an individual’s sex, thus ensuring that both men and women have equal rights to housing, irrespective of religious affiliation.

Discrimination based on race, age, or income is not permissible within the same bounds as sex regarding these practices. The Fair Housing Act protects against discrimination based on race and sex in housing, and while age and income can play roles in various housing contexts, they do not carry the same legal prohibitions related to religious housing exemptions under the Fair Housing Practices Act. Therefore, the protection against sexual discrimination ensures a more equitable access to housing opportunities.