Fair Housing Month

April is Fair Housing Month

As we celebrate Fair Housing Month, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency is committed to furthering its mission as the state's leader in affordable housing. We thank the OHFA Board, our industry partners and our staff for their continued support and service.

The month of April is a designated time to celebrate the advancements of equal access to housing regardless of race, color, religion, sex, nationality, familial and military status, disability or ancestry. Enacted by Congress in 1968, the Fair Housing Act applies to housing and housing related-activities, including the following:

Apartment and home rentals
Real Estate Sales
Mortgage lending
Homeowners insurance

'What is Fair Housing?' – Stories of Home Blog Post

What is Fair Housing?

Discrimination in housing and lending comes in all types of forms and does not require someone blatantly slamming a door or making a disparaging remark. In fact, many renters and homeowners may not recognize they are being discriminated against if their experience lacks blatant prejudice. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), two million instances of housing discrimination are estimated to take place each year across the nation. Despite this, less than two percent of those instances are reported as many renters and homebuyers do not fully understand what activities are illegal under the Fair Housing Act.

Examples of discrimination under the Fair Housing Act include:

Refusal to rent or sell housing
Refusal to negotiate for housing
Making housing unavailable
Setting different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a property
Providing different housing services or facilities
Falsely denying housing is available for inspection, sale or rental of a property
Persuading owners to sell or rent their home for profit
Denying access to or membership in a facility or service related to the sale of housing
Advertising or making any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability. This prohibition applies to single family and owner-occupied housing that is otherwise exempt from the Fair Housing Act.

Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is tasked with administering and enforcing federal laws and policies to ensure all Americans have equal access to housing.

To learn more about the Office and fair housing rights, or to file a fair housing violation complaint, click here. You may also contact the Housing Discrimination Hotline via email at fheo_webmanager@hud.gov or at 1-800-669-9777 (Voice) or 1-800-927-9275 (TTY).