What is the Housing for Older Persons Act and how does it work?

The Housing for Older Persons Act, or HOPA, creates an exemption from the Fair Housing Act's familial status protections for qualifying senior housing communities. To qualify, a community must meet one of two standards: it is specifically designated for and solely occupied by persons 62 years of age or older, or at least 80 percent of its units are occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older and the community publishes and follows policies demonstrating intent to be senior housing.