As you know, April is Fair Housing Month, and 2018 marks a special milestone for the Fair Housing Act. This year marks 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Fair Housing is a component of that law.
“Now, with this bill, the voice of justice speaks again,” President Johnson declared. “It proclaims that Fair Housing for all, all human beings who live in this country, is now part of the American way of life.”
According to HUD, Senators Edward Brooke and Walter Mondale co-sponsored the Act in an effort to “end residential segregation and ensure all Americans had access to safe and decent housing.” In its original form, the Act “prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on color, race, national origin and religion.” Legislators later amended it to also prohibit discrimination “based on sex, disability and familial status.”
The legislation continues to be relevant. Last year, there were more than 8000 complaints alleging discrimination, based on one or more of the Acts seven protected classes.
We’ve dedicated a special issue of our new “Navigating Public Housing” newsletter to National Fair Housing Month. Please read and share!
