Fair Housing Resources

Fair Housing Law and Regulations

Fair Housing Act (42 USC §3601 et seq.)

Fair Housing Regulations (24 CFR 100 et seq.)

Federal Fair Housing Agencies

HUD, Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity Office

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Housing and Civil Enforcement

Federal Fair Housing Guidance/Memos

Advertising & Marketing

Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c) of the Fair Housing Act, Jan. 9, 1995

FHEO Guidance on Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in Marketing and Application Processing at Subsidized Multifamily Properties (4/21/22)

Guidance on Application of the Fair Housing Act to the Advertising of Housing, Credit, and Other Real Estate-Related Transactions through Digital Platforms (4/24)

Criminal Background Checks

Office of General Counsel Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate-Related Transactions, April 4, 2016.

HUD Notice PIH 2015-19: Guidance for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Owners of Federally-Assisted Housing on Excluding the Use of Arrest Records in Housing Decisions, Nov. 2, 2015.

Guidance on Application of the Fair Housing Act to the Screening of Applicants for Rental Housing (4/24)

Disability

U.S. Department of Justice/HUD Guidance, May 17, 2004: Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act

U.S. Department of Justice/HUD Guidance, March 5, 2008: Reasonable Modifications Under the Fair Housing Act

Notice FHEO-2020-01: Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act, Jan. 28, 2020

Fact Sheet on HUD’S Assistance Animals Notice, Jan. 28, 2020

U.S. Department of Justice/HUD Guidance, April 30, 2013: Accessibility (Design and Construction) Requirements For Covered Multifamily Dwellings Under The Fair Housing Act

Disparate Impact

HUD Final Rule, February 15, 2013: Implementation of the Fair Housing Act’s Discriminatory Effects Standard

Familial Status

Fair Housing Enforcement—Occupancy Standards; Notice of Statement of Policy (Keating Memo), Dec. 22, 1998

HUD Final Rule, April 2, 1999: Implementation of the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995

Questions and Answers Concerning the Final Rule Implementing the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 (HOPA)

Limited English Proficiency

HUD, “Guidance on Fair Housing Act Protections for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” September 2016

HUD, “Notice of Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons,” January 2007

Sex Discrimination

HUD Memo, Kim Kendrick, June 17, 2008: Questions and Answers on Sexual Harassment Under the Fair Housing Act

HUD Guidance, September 13, 2016: Office of General Counsel, “Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Enforcement of Local Nuisance and Crime-Free Housing Ordinances Against Victims of Domestic Violence, Other Crime Victims, and Others Who Require Police or Emergency Services”

HUD Memo, Sara K. Pratt, Feb. 9, 2011: Assessing Claims of Housing Discrimination Against Victims of Domestic Violence under the Fair Housing Act and the Violence Against Women Act

Sexual Orientation

HUD’s LGBT Resources Page

HUD Final Rule, Feb. 3, 2012: Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity

Checklist of State Fair Housing Protections (as of December 2021)

Checklist of Fair Housing Protections by Major City (as of June 2015)