Celebrating Fair Housing Month
Congress passed the Fair Housing Act on April 11, 1968, making it illegal to deny housing to people based on their race, skin color, religion, or country of origin. It essentially prohibited discrimination in the housing market and provided marginalized groups with equal opportunity to rent or purchase homes.
Upon signing the Act into law one week after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed, “At long last, fair housing for all is now a part of the American way of life.”
Housing discrimination based on gender was added to the Fair Housing Act in 1974, and discrimination against those with disabilities or with children under the age of 18 was included in 1988.
April is Fair Housing Month and, in recognition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – which administers and enforces the Fair Housing Act – launched the “Call HUD: Because Sexual Harassment in Housing Is Illegal” campaign. Persons who believe they may have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 800-669-9777 (voice) or 800-927-9275 (TTY).
NYCHA is committed to complying with the Fair Housing Act. The Authority’s Department of Equal Opportunity (DEO) is responsible for making sure that all residents and applicants are given an equal opportunity to benefit from NYCHA’s housing programs, services, and activities. DEO investigates allegations of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, family status, disability, and more.
Celeste Thomas Segure, NYCHA’s Director of Equal Opportunity, noted:
“The significance of the Fair Housing Act cannot be overstated; the community in which a family resides significantly determines the quality of access they will have to education, employment, health care, credit, food, and recreation services. Housing location also determines the overall safety and stability of the environment in which they live. For 83 years, the New York City Housing Authority been a quintessential part of New York City by providing decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New York families. Consistent with the principles of fair housing, it has been the mission of the Department of Equal Opportunity to foster agency-wide equal opportunity, inclusiveness, and nondiscrimination to persons who live or work at NYCHA, who receive NYCHA services, or who are paid by NYCHA contractors. We do this for all the New Yorkers who call NYCHA home without regard to their race, color, gender/sex, religion, national origin, disability, or any classification protected from discrimination under the law.”
Read NYCHA’s fair housing policy below to learn more:
