Fair Housing Act Legislation
The Federal Fair Housing Act refers to Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968
(www.justice.gov). This Act, in addition to the Texas Fair Housing Act(www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us), protects your right to rent an apartment, buy a home, obtain a mortgage, or purchase homeowners insurance free from discrimination based on:
- Race
- Color
- National Origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial Status, and
- Disability
Cities, counties, and other municipalities may have additional housing discrimination laws to protect additional groups. To find out about existing additional protections in your City, County, or municipality, find website listings in the Texas.gov (www.texas.gov) directory or find and contact your local Legal Aid Office using TXLawHelp.org (www.txlawhelp.org).
In addition to the Act, the following legislation and executive orders may apply and provide a basis for federal fair housing enforcement:
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (www.justice.gov)
- The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (www.access-board.gov)
- Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (www.justice.gov)
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (www.hud.gov)
- Section 109 of Title I of the Housing Act of 1974 (hud.gov)
- The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (www.dol.gov)
- Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (www.ada.gov)
- The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (PDF) (www.gpo.gov)
- Executive Orders (hud.gov):
For help in identifying what discrimination may look like, please view the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") YouTube Channel (youtube.com) or the National Fair Housing Alliance page (www.nationalfairhousing.org). If you believe you have been a victim of discrimination, view the How to File a Complaint page. To download more information, including the HUD complaint app and fair housing rights brochures, visit ourToolkits, Sample Forms, and Downloads page.