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A lender's underwriting guidelines automatically reject applications for properties in census tracts where the median income is below a certain threshold, which disproportionately affects minority communities. This policy likely:

Correct Answer

B) Violates fair housing laws through disparate impact

Even facially neutral policies can violate the Fair Housing Act if they have a disparate impact on protected classes. Automatically rejecting applications based on census tract income levels that disproportionately affect minority communities may constitute illegal discrimination unless there is a substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory business justification.

Answer Options
A
Is permissible as sound business practice
B
Violates fair housing laws through disparate impact
C
Is acceptable if based on government data
D
Is legal under safe harbor provisions

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Even facially neutral policies can violate the Fair Housing Act if they have a disparate impact on protected classes. Automatically rejecting applications based on census tract income levels that disproportionately affect minority communities may constitute illegal discrimination unless there is a substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory business justification.

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