Understanding Fair Housing
Fair housing is your right, assured by law. Through Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, better known as the Fair Housing Act, and associated amendment acts, Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and family status. Here in Michigan, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 extends those protections to include age and marital status. Local ordinances may also introduce further protections.
​
At the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan, we are committed to promoting fair and equal housing opportunities for individuals and families throughout our region. We champion fair housing law and its history and offer educational sessions to improve public understanding of the rights we all share. We advocate on behalf of those who face fair housing discrimination and enforce the upholding of the responsibilities assigned by fair housing law. ​​
What is Fair Housing?
Fair housing is the right to live where you choose without discrimination based on protected characteristics like race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. It is enforced by federal, state, and local laws, most notably the Fair Housing Act, which prohibit discriminatory practices in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.
​
​What is Housing Discrimination?
Housing discrimination is defined as treating individuals unfairly in housing-related activities, such as renting, buying, or financing a home, because they belong to a specific protected class. Examples of housing discrimination include refusing to rent or sell a property, setting different terms or conditions for a sale or rental, and providing different services or facilities. Other forms include falsely denying housing availability, steering people to certain neighborhoods, discriminatory advertising, and refusing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. ​
​
How Does FHCSWM Investigate Housing Discrimination?
Housing discrimination is often subtle, and can go unnoticed by those impacted. By contacting the FHCSWM and having a conversation with our intake professionals, we can help determine if housing discrimination has occurred and plan a course of action. We also conduct investigations throughout Southwest Michigan's housing market to uncover discrimination that is not reported. Findings from those investigations build evidence towards administrative complaints, policy changes, private civil action, and additional community education and training resources.
​
What Should I Do If I Have a Complaint?
If you believe you have been denied housing or the opportunity to apply for housing contact the Fair Housing Center at info@fhcswm.org or call (269) 276-9100 or toll free at 866-637-0733.
​
Read our most recent reports:
The Fair Housing Act
Federal Civil Rights Act of 1968 – Title VIII
April 11, 1968
​Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, enacted April 11, 1968, is commonly known as the Fair Housing Act. Its predecessor legislation, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, focused primarily on labor rights. Noticing the glaring absence of housing protections in CRA 1964, organizations such as the NAACP and GI Forum, alongside luminaries such as Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., worked tirelessly to promote these additions. Following the assassination of Dr. King on April 4, 1968, the bill was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The cornerstone legislation upon which our work is based, the Fair Housing Act expanded civil rights protections, outlawing housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin. The law also ascribed to congress much stronger enforcement capacities.
Federal Fair Housing Act as Amended in 1974
April 4, 1974
The Fair Housing Act was amended to include sex as a protected basis.
Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976
Signed January 13, 1977 – Effective March 31, 1977
Named for its primary sponsors, Daisy Elliott of Detroit and Melvin Larsen of Oxford, Michigan, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act closely mirrored the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968. Originally, it prohibited discrimination in employment, housing, education, and access to public accommodations based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, family status, age, marital status, height, and weight. It was later amended in 2023 to extend these protections to individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988
September 13, 1988
The Fair Housing Act was amended again in 1988. This act crucially expanded the federally protected classes to include disability and familial status. It wrote into law that any multifamily dwelling constructed for first occupancy on or after March 13, 1991, had to be an accessible construction and outlined the procedures by which reasonable accommodations could by used to make other dwellings so accessible. This act also formally designated Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 as the Fair Housing Act.
Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – 1994
September 13, 1994
VAWA is a U.S. Federal law providing programs and services including, protection for victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related to domestic violence or stalking.
Federal Civil Rights Act of 1866
April 9, 1866
The first Civil Rights Act in the United States, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 formally extended material and property rights to the nation’s newest citizens, made so by the recently ratified 15th amendment. Specifically, this Act made illegal the abridgement of these rights based on race or color.