In 1968 Congress enacted the Federal Fair Housing Act (the “Act”), which is codified in 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 – 3619. The Act makes it unlawful for housing providers to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), and national origin. The Act was amended in 1988 to also prohibit discrimination based on familial status and disability.
The purpose of the law is to protect every American’s fundamental right to fair housing—the choices of where to live and whether to own a home, for instance—regardless of factors of race, disability, and the several other protected statuses.