The Federal Housing Act (FHA) is the primary source of protection against housing discrimination. It was originally enacted as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 ( Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241). It is codified as 42 U.S.C. §3610 et seq. of the the United State Code. The last major amendment to the FHA was enacted in 1998, Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-430, 102 Stat.1619).The annotated versions of the code additionally provide helpful case citations and references to secondary sources.
The Fair Housing Act has been amended a number of times since its initial enactment. The law originally only prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. The Act was amended in 1974 to include the prohibition against sex discrimination in the realm of housing. In 1988 the act was further amended to include the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of physical or mental handicap as well as on the basis of familial status.