Federal Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act prohibits efforts to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person’s fair housing rights. See 42 United States code 3617. This includes harassment and retaliation against a person exercising their fair housing rights.

This brochure explains your Fair Housing Act rights related to harassment and retaliation. This brochure is available in English, Spanish, Pashto, Chinese, Mandarin, and Arabic. This brochure is also available as an audio recording in English. For the audio recording, please click here to visit our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/hgTUhrRka78. For the brochures, please click on the PDFs below.

Attached is a brochure on fair housing laws and issues related to sex discrimination. This brochure is available in English, Spanish, Swahili, Arabic, and Farsi. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a press release on February 11, 2021 that they will begin enforcing the Fair Housing Act to include protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  HUD will also begin to review all claims of discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation received since Jan. 20, 2020.

This brochure provides an overview of housing discrimination based upon familial status and is available in multiple languages below. 

This brochure offers an overview of housing discrimination based on race, color, or national origin and is translated into multiple languages below.

Discrimination in mortgage lending is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act.  The Act makes it unlawful to engage in discriminatory practices based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap (disability).  Examples of discrimination in lending include:

Guidance from the US Dept of Housing and Urban development on fair housing advertising, including common words and phrases to avoid in placing housing advertisements.

Notice of Statement of Policy from Department of Housing and Urban Development on Fair Housing Enforcement and occupancy standards.    

Sec. 800. [42 U.S.C. 3601 note] Short Title This title may be cited as the "Fair Housing Act". Sec. 801. [42 U.S.C. 3601] Declaration of Policy It is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States. Sec. 802. [42 U.S.C. 3602] --