NLIHC joins advocates nationwide in recognizing April as National Fair Housing Month—a time not only to honor the legacy of the Fair Housing Act, but to recommit to the work still required to make fair housing a reality for all. Advancing housing justice demands confronting racial inequity head-on and addressing the homelessness and eviction disparities that persist due to centuries of structural racism. This year marks the 58th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, a landmark law whose promise remains unfulfilled.
Enacted in 1968, the Fair Housing Act outlawed overt discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex—including sexual orientation and gender identity—disability, and familial status. Yet discriminatory policies and practices did not end with the law’s passage. Instead, their impacts continue to shape who has access to safe, stable, and affordable homes. Today, people of color—especially extremely low-income renters—are disproportionately likely to face housing instability, eviction, and homelessness.
Without strong protections, robust enforcement, and sustained public investment, inequities will persist. National Fair Housing Month is a call to action—to organize, advocate, and demand policies that affirm safe, stable, and affordable housing as a human right.
Take Action
You can help turn the promise of fair housing into lasting change by supporting NLIHC and our work:
- Join a HoUSed Campaign call and learn how you can support federal policies that expand affordable housing, strengthen renter protections, and advance racial equity.
- Email or call your Congressperson’s office to tell them about the importance of affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources to you, your family, your community, or your work. You can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to look up your member offices or call/send an email directly!
- Share stories of those directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability. Storytelling adds emotional weight to your message and can help lawmakers see how their policy decisions impact actual people. Learn about how to tell compelling stories with this resource.
- Read more about Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) on NLIHC’s Racial Equity and Fair Housing webpage at: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), and more about Fair Housing in Advocates’ Guide 2026 in Chapters 2 and 8 (Chapter 2: Furthering Fair Housing; Chapter 8: Fair Housing Programs; Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)).