What is the Federal Fair Housing Act?

The Federal Fair Housing Act was adopted in 1968 as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. In 1988, Congress expanded the scope of the Federal Fair Housing Act by adopting the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. The Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act established new enforcement procedures and created two new protected classifications. The Federal Fair Housing Act protects individuals from housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, or national origin. These categories are known as “Protected Classes”. In addition, the Hawaii State Fair Housing Act adds the classification of age and marital status to the Protected Classes.