April is National Fair Housing Month

Blog posted On April 12, 2017

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) was established on April 11, 1968, when President Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law.  This act prohibits the discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on the race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, and family status of the buyer or renter. 

In April, the community celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the Fair Housing Act and commemorates the great strides the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has taken to provide discrimination free housing opportunities for all Americans. 

HUD defines fair housing as the opportunity for every person to live free.  In a statement on its website, HUD explains, “this means that our communities are open and welcoming, free from housing discrimination and hostility. But this also means that each one of us, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability, has access to neighborhoods of opportunity, where our children can attend quality schools, our environment allows us to be healthy, and economic opportunities and self sufficiency can grow.”

To learn more about the mission of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and National Fair Housing Month, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing. 

Sources: HUD.gov, HUD.gov, HUD.gov