Fair Housing Month is observed nationally each April to commemorate the signing by President Lyndon Johnson of the landmark Fair Housing Act on April 11, 1968. The nearly 60-year-old legislation, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1968, was signed in part to prohibit housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and/or ethnicity.
The 2026 theme, “Fair Housing, No Matter What!” highlights the importance of fair housing laws, educates on housing rights, and works to mitigate discrimination for buyers, renters, as well as unfair lending practices for residential properties.
Accordingly, 49 states across our nation, plus Washington D.C., have adopted statewide fair housing laws to expand upon those existing federal protections. Mississippi was the only state that did not have a state supported fair housing function as of January 2026. However, legislation was recently introduced to establish one.
Expanded state laws include the rights of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sources of income. State-level laws have become increasingly crucial over time as they provide stronger enforcement mechanisms, shorter waiting times for investigations, and protected classes not included in the initial federal law.
The Florida Fair Housing Act was implemented in 1983 by the Florida Legislature and amended in 1989. Closely mimicking the federal Fair Housing Act, the legislation was also designed for antidiscrimination based on classes of prospective homebuyers or tenants, unfair evictions, unequal housing services, and discrimination against those with children.
Throughout the monthlong Fair Housing Month observance, organizations like the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and real estate associations comparable to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), engage in initiatives which promote the idea that fair housing is a “right, not a privilege.”
The Osceola Council on Aging (OCOA) also hosts housing education throughout April, though ‘fair housing’ is not just a month’s mission for our team, it is an everyday hustle within our organization, and a large community outreach program within the Osceola County community.
Our Housing Management team was created when our first complex was built, Tracey Manor in 1996, to oversee ‘fair housing’ locally, and provide an opportunity to create housing arrangements for those with limited financial resources. At the present, the team operates five separate, affordable, senior housing communities, along with neighborhood stabilization homes and house sharing programs.
“The Osceola Council on Aging has supported equitable housing access for 30 years, which meticulously aligns with the national Fair Housing mission,” said Angelica Rodriguez, the Council’s Vice President of Housing. “We are also excited to have the resources to expand our affordable, fair housing footprint in other communities outside of Florida.”
Having just opened the 64-unit Ford City Motor Lofts last month in Salisbury, North Carolina, the OCOA will soon complete Buen Vecino in summer 2026, a 60-unit affordable housing complex located in Buenaventura Lakes, for seniors ages 62 and older. All OCOA properties are either HUD assisted housing offering rent assistance to those who qualify, HOME (federal block grants) NSP or tax credit properties.
With April being Fair Housing Month, this landmark legislation is just as important today, (or even more so) than it was fifty-seven years ago. The law honors the principle that in the United States of America, no one should be denied housing because of who they are.
To learn more about Fair Housing Month, go to https://nationalfairhousing.org/program/education-outreach/
