2023 marked the 55th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, enacted by the Congress on April 11, 1968. The law has been amended several times over the years and now prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, families with children, and people with disabilities. Notwithstanding the passage of the federal law banning housing discrimination, and dozens of state and local ordinances, housing discrimination persists at high levels.
33,007 fair housing complaints were filed in 2023, which was the highest number ever reported. The unequal financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with high demand and record shortages in housing for rent and for sale, have increased racial and ethnic disparities in the housing market. These factors have added to the worsening of the housing affordability crisis for many households.