Here’s something a lot of people don’t know: housing discrimination has been illegal in the United States since 1968. That’s when the Fair Housing Act was passed, making it against the law for landlords, sellers, and lenders to discriminate against you based on things like your race, color, religion, or national origin. (The law also covers sex, disability, and familial status, among other protected categories.)
So if a landlord suddenly decides the apartment is ‘no longer available’ the moment they see you — or a seller treats you differently than other buyers for no real reason — that’s not just rude. It may be a federal violation.
You can report it directly to HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s the federal agency that oversees fair housing, and filing a complaint with them is completely free.
One thing to keep in mind: the clock starts ticking immediately. According to the American Bar Association, you have one year from the date the discrimination happened to file your complaint. Don’t sit on it.
And HUD isn’t the only option. Many states and cities have their own human rights agencies that accept housing discrimination complaints too — so there may be local resources available to you as well.
If your complaint is valid, HUD has the authority to award you monetary damages. Meaning the person or company that discriminated against you could actually owe you money.
This applies to private housing, public housing, and housing that receives federal funding — so it covers a wide range of situations, not just a narrow slice.