FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Media Contact: Molly Moses
Phone: 614.728.2911
50 Years of Opening Doors: OHFA Celebrates National Fair Housing Month
COLUMBUS - The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) joins organizations across the country in recognizing April as National Fair Housing Month and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act.
"The month of April is a time to reflect on our nation's history and to celebrate the advancement of equal access to housing," says Sean Thomas, Executive Director of OHFA. "As the state's leader in affordable housing, we remain committed to providing quality housing, free of discrimination, to Ohioans."
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Fair Housing Act, which protects citizens' right to housing. The act was designed as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was passed in the days following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The Fair Housing Act applies to housing and related activities, including apartment and home rentals, real estate sales, mortgage lending and homeowners' insurance.
The act protects individuals from being discriminated against based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability. Actions deemed unlawful include refusing to sell or rent housing, making housing unavailable, setting different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling, providing different housing services or facilities and falsely denying that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson reflected on the Fair Housing Act in a statement released on Monday: "It was a seminal moment in our country's history when the ideals of equality and fairness were embodied in a law that continues to shape our communities and our neighborhoods 50 years later. But the promises of the Fair Housing Act require our constant vigilance to confront housing discrimination in all its forms and to advance fairness on behalf of those seeking their American dream."
For more information on the Fair Housing Act and protected rights, please visit HUD's website.