Which 1968 U.S. law made discrimination in the sale or rental of housing illegal nationwide?
Answer
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act made discrimination in the sale or rental of housing illegal nationwide in 1968.
The law was enacted as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. It prohibited housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. Later amendments added protections based on sex, familial status, and disability, expanding the groups protected by federal fair-housing law.
The act applies to important housing activities including selling, renting, mortgage lending, and other housing-related transactions, subject to limited statutory exemptions. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice play major roles in enforcement, while private parties can also bring certain claims.
The Fair Housing Act is distinct from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, although both are major civil-rights laws. It is also different from the Community Reinvestment Act, which addresses lending institutions’ obligations toward communities rather than establishing the central federal ban on housing discrimination.