April is Fair Housing month, a time to educate and continue the fight for safe and stable housing for everyone. There has been progress made since the Fair Housing Act went into effect over fifty years ago, but housing inequality remains an issue. The 2024 Fair Housing Trends report by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), found that there were 34,150 fair housing complaints received in 2023, the highest number of complaints received since the report began. As we go into April, let’s reflect on Fair Housing’s effect on the real estate industry and society.

History of the Fair Housing Act

The road to the Fair Housing Act was not always an easy one after failing to pass in Congress in 1966 and 1967. A few days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, the bill was passed and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968. The initial act prohibited discrimination in the sale, financing, and rental of housing based on race, color, religion, and national origin. Future amendments would expand these protected classes to include sex, disability, and familial status. Each state in the U.S. has adopted their own Fair Housing Law, with Virginia establishing its law in 1972, making housing discrimination illegal. In 2020, the Virginia Fair Housing Law was amended to include protected classes such as military status, source of income, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Source: National Museum of American History and Library of Congress

Benefits of Fair Housing

Before the 1968 Act, housing discrimination practices such as redlining and steering resulted in many people of color living in rundown buildings in overcrowded neighborhoods. Poor ventilation, contaminated water and lead paint were just a few of the issues that tenants had to contend with. Even in the present day, communities of color are more likely to live in areas that jeopardize their physical health which can impact them financially. The Center for Housing Policy found that access to safe and affordable housing can lead to improvements in physical and mental health, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with disabilities.

Children’s health is also greatly impacted by housing instability. Studies have shown that housing instability can lead to cognitive development and behavioral issues. In contrast, children who have stable housing are shown to perform better in school, have fewer health problems, and can establish stronger social connections which helps to improve their emotional well-being.

The passage of the Fair Housing Act also gave individuals and families a chance to move up economically through homeownership. For minorities, homeownership allows them to build wealth which can then be passed on to future generations so they can have more financial stability. Homeowners who are more financially secure tend to stay in their homes longer, leading to more time and money spent in their communities which benefits the local economy. Homeownership also provides stability and control which has been found to lead to less stress and an overall improvement in mental and physical health.

Fair Housing Impacts All of Us

Fair Housing means having the right to choose where you live without being discriminated against. Equal access to housing can lead to improved health, education and socioeconomic status for individuals, families, and communities which can then be passed on to future generations. That impact only happens if we all decide to work and fight for Fair Housing.

Fair Housing Resources:

Individuals who have a housing discrimination complaint can report it to the Virginia Fair Housing Office or to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Virginia Fair Housing Office offers training classes and approved courses and schools for real estate professionals. Fairhaven 2.0 from the National Association of Realtors also provides associations and brokers with the chance to experience and challenge fair housing issues impacting their clients in an online simulation.

For more information on housing, demographic, and economic trends in Virginia, be sure to check out Virginia REALTORS^® other Economic Insights blogs.