If you or someone you know is a non-native English speaker looking to buy a home, recent changes have been made towards the protection of non-English speaking home buyers. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently said that the Fair Housing Act also protects home buyers who are not proficient in English. According to the HUD, almost 9 percent of the US population has limited English proficiency.
“Housing decisions that are based on limited English proficiency may have a greater impact on these and other groups because of their nationality,” HUD said in the press release.
“Having a limited ability to speak English should never be a reason to be denied a home,” says Gustavo Velasquez, HUD assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Every family that calls this nation home has the same rights when it comes to renting or buying a home, regardless of where they come from or language they speak.”
According to National Mortgage News, the new guidance by the HUD emphasizes that borrowers with limited English proficiency must have access to mortgage programs. The HUD said they had been alarmed by lenders who denied requests to get loan documents translated.
HUD is not requiring that lenders translate loan documents for their borrowers. However, lenders should stop any borrowers’ from getting a translation on their own. Lenders should also allow a translator to help before non-English speaking borrowers sign any loan documents.
These new measures should provide significant protection of non-English speaking home buyers.
“This is a message to lenders: don’t lock the front door on people simply because they speak a language other than English. Figure out ways to work with them,” said Sara Pratt, a senior counsel at Relman, Dane & Colfax to National Mortgage News.
Miami is a city booming with different cultures, nationalities- and languages. At RE/MAX Paradise, we are happy that non-English speaking home buyers will be further protected when looking for a home. If you or someone you know is looking to buy a home in the Miami area, contact us today!