Washington, DC – Late last night, the Senate passed unanimously a resolution recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and the 20th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Amendments Act, Senate Resolution 503. April 11th marks passage of this, the broadest and least enforced of our nation’s civil rights laws.

On April 11, 1968, just days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congress passed and the President signed into law the federal Fair Housing Act, which now prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, national origin, religion, color, sex, familial status, and disability.

“We are so proud that the Senate emphasized the dual intent of the Act – to end discrimination and to integrate our nation,” said Shanna L. Smith, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance.  “The continuing housing segregation in our country leads to unequal opportunity in education, health care, jobs, and more.”

The National Fair Housing Alliance estimates that more than 4 million people are still discriminated against in housing transactions every year.  On Tuesday, the Alliance will issue its 2008 Fair Housing Trends Report, which documents how communities remain segregated and discrimination continues 40 years after this landmark civil rights legislation was passed.  The report, which catalogues widespread under-enforcement of federal fair housing and lending laws, highlights the link between the lack of fair housing enforcement and our current foreclosure crisis.

“On this 40^th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, we must live up to the dream of Dr. King by using the powerful tool of fair housing enforcement to the fullest extent possible,” continued Smith.  “This doesn’t mean passing any new laws – this just means enforcing the ones we already have.  We thank these senators for their leadership.”

To commemorate this critical piece of legislation in the coming weeks, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) will also host five audio press conferences in five cities (Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Boston and Cleveland), with members of Congress, local and national NFHA leaders and victims of discrimination to discuss the state of fair housing in their communities.