It shall be unlawful for any bank, building and loan association, insurance company or other corporation, association, firm or enterprise whose business consists in whole or in part in the making or commercial real estate loans, to deny a loan or other financial assistance to a person applying therefore for the purpose of purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling, or to discriminate against him in the fixing of the amount, interest rate, duration, or other terms or conditions of such loan or other financial assistance, because of the race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or handicap of such person or of any person associated with him in connection with such loan or other financial assistance or the purposes of such loan or other financial assistance, or of the present or prospective owns, lessees, tenants, or occupants of he dwelling or dwellings in relation to which such loan or other financial assistance is to be made or given: Provided, that nothing contained in the Section shall impair the scope or effectiveness of the exception contained in SECTION 103(b).