Where a person lives matters—a zip code can often predict a person's likely economic, health, education, and life outcomes. The Fair Housing Act of 1968, officially known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, made it illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing, including against individuals seeking a mortgage or housing assistance, or in other housing-related activities, based on a person's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Yet 50 years after the passage of this landmark legislation, housing remains segregated by race and income in many neighborhoods across the United States. Racial minorities and people with lower incomes disproportionately live in neighborhoods that lack basic amenities and pathways to economic mobility, what many people think of as the American dream.
In honor of National Fair Housing Month, Atlanta Fed president Raphael Bostic discusses why fair housing matters, reflects on the legacy of housing discrimination, and describes the progress made to prevent housing discrimination and further fair housing as well as what remains to be done. Bostic discusses the importance of fair housing as a means for people to build a foundation to help them achieve their full economic potential.
Watch the video to learn more about the history of housing discrimination in the United States and the importance of achieving fair housing for every American. To learn about a recent Bank event on fair housing, visit our web page, Fair Housing: A look Back and Forward at Racial Equity in Atlanta (and the Southeast).