11/04/2024
Today in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, granting fair housing options to all regardless of race, religion or national origin.
Tthe Fair Housing Act made it illegal to discriminate in housing sales, rentals, and financing based on race, religion, national origin, or s*x. This legislation was designed as an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and encountered fierce debate in the Senate.
However, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4th, the House of Representatives expedited its passage. The Fair Housing Act represents the last major legislative success of the civil rights movement.
The Fair Housing Act alone didn't solve the perpetual housing inequity and discrimination that marginalized communities experience to this day. But it helped to contextualize the housing crisis on a federal level. It also led to more legislation to include protections against discrimination for individuals with disabilities and those affected by family status, including pregnant women or households with children under 18.