Any effort to block your right to fair housing is called housing discrimination. HUD is the federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. fair housing laws. HUD also is responsible for national policy and programs that address housing needs and improve and develop viable communities nationwide.
Housing discrimination is always illegal, but it can happen in many ways.
For instance, if a landlord rents only to white people and not to people of color, this is housing discrimination. Or, if a real estate agent warns prospective clients that a house is in a neighborhood primarily occupied by African Americans, that too is illegal. Sometimes, a landlord, seller or real estate agent tells people of color that an advertised rental dwelling or home for sale is no longer available when it still is. The people interested in the rental are turned away with a friendly smile and a handshake, and leave without suspecting that they were victims of housing discrimination. Businesses such as mortgage companies and insurance firms may discriminate in more subtle ways.