We always recognize April as Fair Housing month, but this year we have extra reason to celebrate. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, let’s look back at the hurdles fair housing faced leading up to its 1968 inception, it’s current successes, and how it will continue to evolve.
America’s history of unequal property practices can be traced back to 1789. The Fifth Amendment vowed to protect property rights, but at the time, women and minorities were not allowed to own property. It wasn’t until the 1866 Civil Rights Act that African Americans were granted the right to own property, but even then, some states restricted those rights.
Horrifying acts of housing discrimination persisted for years. Racial zoning was outlawed in 1917, but racially restrictive covenants, or private contracts that prohibited minorities from occupying homes, took its place. Racially restrictive covenants were eventually outlawed in 1948, but minorities were still denied the ability to live in certain neighborhoods and often faced harassment and threats throughout the home buying process. In a widespread practice known as “white flight,” families would move if an African American individual purchased a home in their neighborhood.
In 1947, African American real estate professionals formed the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, whose mission was to promote fair housing practices. In 1950, the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing was formed and the fight for fair housing continued to grow. Their efforts were slowly realized when New York City became the first city to ban discrimination in private housing in 1957. In the following years other cities and states followed suit, but it would be more than a decade for such laws to extend to the federal level.
The Fair Housing Act was signed into law April 11, 1968, one week after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The policy banned discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin. The Fair Housing Act did not solve discriminatory housing practices overnight, but it made such reprimandable actions illegal and set a standard of inclusivity for the industry. Unfortunately, discriminatory acts still take place today, but the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development enforces fair housing.
Fair housing has since been amended to protect against discrimination based on sex, disability and familial status. The National Association of REALTORS® is currently fighting to gain protection for all sexual orientations and gender identities as well. Currently, only 20 states have non-discrimination housing laws that encompass sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Fair Housing Makes Us Stronger.” We acknowledge the dark history of the real estate industry and we celebrate how far we have come. REALTORS® fight every day to make our industry the best, and most inclusive, that it can be.
For more information on Fair Housing, check out NAR’s many resources.