LOS ANGELES, CA –  Every April, the Housing Rights Center (HRC) joins fair housing advocates across the nation in celebrating Fair Housing Month and the anniversary of the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act.

Days after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson and a divided Congress made it illegal to discriminate in the sale, rental, financing, and advertising of housing on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity. This great piece of civil rights legislation passed quickly—partly to honor Dr. King’s dream, but also to extinguish the flames of outrage and despair illuminating our major cities over his murder and the ongoing struggle of Black Americans to survive as poverty and racism surged.

At this year’s summit, held on April 8, 2024, HRC explored the theme “The Power of Civil Rights Advocacy: From Theory to Impact” by hearing from civil rights experts who have successfully brought litigation, policy work and grassroots advocacy to challenge a discriminatory practice and bring about unique solutions to remedy past harm. Lisa Rice, President and CEO of NFHA, spoke on emerging fair housing trends and the impact of AI on housing rental and sales industries. HRC presented Dr. Gay Yuen with the 2024 Fair Housing Justice Award in recognition of her work to combat racism against Chinese Americans in Southern California. The Summit’s legislative panel provided an update on recent tenant protection laws and shared information, tools, and resources on eviction protections. Finally, a distinguished housing attorney panel highlighted the legal victories and challenges to protecting tenants with Section 8 vouchers from discrimination that prevents them from securing the housing they may have waited years to obtain. We are grateful to have experts and leaders in all these fields join us to put a spotlight on fair housing, and to share their wisdom and insight on paths towards equity and reparation. The conference was attended by more than 220 housing advocates, community partners, service providers, and public interest lawyers.

The Housing Rights Center (HRC) has an Investigations Department staffed with Case Analysts who will attempt to mediate to resolve a fair housing issue when necessary and appropriate. In 2023, Case Analysts successfully mediated the relocation of a disabled Veteran to a first-floor ADA unit, after weekly calls to management to complete needed repairs and submit required documentation to the city. New legislation like AB 1620 will make it easier for fair housing advocates to achieve the same results when advocating for tenants with disabilities to have safe and accessible housing.

If you believe you have experienced discrimination in housing contact the Housing Rights Center for free counseling at 1(800)-477-5977. To request a workshop for your organization, please email outreach@housingrightscenter.org. For more resources, visit HRC’s website and follow HRC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Download a copy of the full press release here.