Fancy, gated, 'faith-based' living apts. opening down the street

[Philosoraptor]

I got a flyer in the mail advertising new luxury villas, there is a LARGE statue of Jesus in the front, with rays of light eminating from his heart, the flyer reads: 'San Gabrielle at casa de angeles, a distinctive luxury adult living option blending an active lifestyle with a faith-based approach". Features: Gated community, Clubhouse, lake, and walking trails to Majestic Divine Mercy".

Would this qualify as discriminatory housing? Is this legal? I assume they only accept wealthy 'Christians', and would reject Muslims, Hindus or atheists. They don't have a website, I looked, you have to call for appointments.

I'm not sure why, but this really cheeses me off.

[unhappycamper]

1. Maybe when the Rapture comes you can pick up some good stuff.

:shrug:

[pinboy3niner]

5. LOL!

:spray:

[OneGrassRoot]

11. ...

:applause:

[hobbit709]

2. Think they would let Jesus in?

Even money says the place will be filled with sin and depravity by the end of the year.
The should call it the "Hypocrite's Hideaway"

[Philosoraptor]

3. Maybe if he got a haircut and wore pants instead of a robe

[trotsky]

4. A great business opportunity would be to open up a booze or porn shop...

right next door.

[xchrom]

6. A porn shop with booze. Nt

[MineralMan]

15. Only if his credit score was above 700.

[Silent3]

24. Jesus saves.

He doesn't borrow very much, however, and that doesn't help His credit rating at all.

[Red State Rebel]

7. Could Be a Private Retirement Community

I used to work for one that was owned by the Presbyterians and there is also one owned by the Lutherans here in town.

The one I worked for let anyone in but they did have rules based on their faith, i.e. no alcohol served at community functions but you could have it in your private residence.

[The_Commonist]

8. The Fair Housing Act of 1968...

"The Fair Housing Act was enacted by Congress as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. It was amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHAA). Under the current law, it is unlawful to discriminate in any aspect relating to the sale, rental, advertising, or financing of dwellings based on seven protected classifications, specifically: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap or familial status."

http://real-estate.lawyers.com/residential-real-estate/Discrimination-in-Real-Estate-Sales-and-Leasing.html

However, if the property is owned by a church, then they can limit residency to its members.
Or "members."

[mmonk]

14. As long as it is not commercial in nature.

[Statistical]

9. Legally? It depends.

If they heavily advertise it as faith based. Strongly promote that and as a result nobody not of that lifestyle feels comfortable that is borderline legal.

However if an unacceptable (Muslim, atheist, homosexual, unwed couple, etc) decides that they want to purchase and are denied then it violates fair housing act of 1968.

Likely they will so heavily promote the "faith based aproach" that anyone not into a "faith centered lifestyle" won't even consider living there.

[marylanddem]

10. Can you imagine living in such a creepy place?

"walking trails to Majestic Divine Mercy" - so bizarre...

[pinboy3niner]

25. That IS scary

It sounds like walking that trail could be a one-way trip! :evilgrin:

[WolverineDG]

27. that's probably the name of the church nt

[TwilightGardener]

28. Sounds Catholic, actually.

[tanyev]

12. Somebody made a Jesus statue with an activated heart chakra?

[mmonk]

13. That is against the law. I know. I'm a realtor.

[KharmaTrain]

16. Wink And Nod...

They opened a "xtian" retirement center not far away...IRC the two bedrooms were going in the range of 350k and higher. My bets are if someone with a turban showed up, they'd get the 15 second tour and made to feel very uncomfortable. While they don't deliberately discriminate, there's no law prohibiting the realtor to discourage.

[mmonk]

18. Realtors cannot participate in anything that violates the law.

They can be sued same as the principal invoved as well as be barred from practicing their profession.

[KharmaTrain]

22. I Know What You're Saying...

But it's another thing in practice. There's no law prohibiting them from marketing to specific "lifestyle" types...singles, no pets, no "a-rabs" (said in a "positive" way)...and to target their marketing at the clients they prefer. At one time I had to write a commercial for a new gated community and thought the brochure was surely discriminatory, but I was told that it doesn't say that someone who doesn't fit their criteria can't buy, they just want to "promote positively" to their target audience. I was told to "dress it up". So they will advertise in the church bullitens or on christian radio.

Being Jewish I sure wouldn't want to live in such a place. For S & Gs I've been tempted to apply at such a place to see what the application form says (if it asks religion, a BIG red flag), but not sure I could sit through the presentation...

Cheers...

[NNN0LHI]

23. Shit, I was "steered" away from the house I live in now because I had a beard and long hair

It was easier to do back then. No computer listings. Just microfiche. As we kept narrowing down houses I noticed this one kept popping up but the realtor was really discouraging me from buying or looking at it.

Found out later that the woman who lived across the street from this house at the time was my realtor's co-worker out of the same office and she had told my realtor she didn't want no "hippies" living across the street from her so don't show it to us.

She moved away shortly thereafter. I have been here over 20 years.

When I told my realtor I wanted to look at it she asked me if I owned a motorcycle?

Don

[Raineyb]

20. Having the realtor discourage is actively discriminating. n/t

[LWolf]

17. The obsessive need to be segregated from the rest of us,

to convert all of us so that no poor christian ever has to see or hear anything that doesn't come from their church...

It's unbalanced, to say the least.

"Faith based?" I assume that means that all faiths are welcomed and represented, correct?

Edited to add: Are private businesses allowed to discriminate? Is this real estate for sale or rent, or a senior care facility, or?

[Catshrink]

19. So will faith pay the rent?

[AnArmyVeteran]

21. Yes, faith & prayers can be used very selfishly.

Notice all of the references in the Bible about if you tithe and pray you will be rewarded, even with material wealth. And preachers tell their congregations if they give their money will comeback TENFOLD. So 'giving' in those situations is actually done out of greed, not for any higher purpose. I'm sure a lot of people 'give' because they expect to get a 1,000% return on their 'investment'. So you could say that tithing is almost like a ponzi scheme, but the money never flows back down to anyone. It stays in the church to buy million dollar statues and multimillion dollar churches, and of course, pay the preachers megabucks.

BTW, I know most preachers live modestly, but larger churches reward their preachers will millions of dollars. And televangelists are all corrupt who regularly steal from the most vulnerable in their flocks.

[TwilightGardener]

26. Meh...there are religion-affiliated nursing homes and hospitals

that don't discriminate, there's no reason to assume this is any worse.

[WolverineDG]

29. So don't buy there

:shrug:

It's one thing to have religious symbols removed from public property, but quite another to start calling it "discrimination" when it's on private property just because you don't like it. If they do turn people away because they're not Catholic (going on what appears to be the name of the church & the imagery on the statue), THEN you can start yelling about discrimination.


dg

[Donnachaidh]

30. Send the flyer to the local aclu

I'm sure they'd love to investigate this.

[Stevenmarc]

31. Once we get them in there can we weld the gate shut