April is Fair Housing Month.
Incited in part by the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., one week prior, Congress passed Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act in 1968, known as the Fair Housing Act.
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or disability in the sale or rental of housing.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) have launched a national media campaign, "Fair Housing Is Your Right. Use It." The campaign informs the public and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The campaign features stories of housing discrimination and how individuals have gotten assistance.
Watch how three people have gotten help for housing discrimination.
If you are a Montanan who has experienced housing discrimination, there is help.
You can:
- Contact Montana Fair Housing at: (406) 782-2573 / 1-800-929-2611 Montana Relay: 711- (406 782-2573 / 800-929-2611
- View Montana Fair Housing's website by clicking here.
- Read more about the Fair Housing Act, Fair Housing Month, or learn about filing a housing discrimination complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), by clicking here.