Fair and Equal Housing Act

The Fair and Equal Housing Act is a proposed federal bill that would amend the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to explicitly bar housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The 1968 law already prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing on grounds such as race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status, but it does not name LGBTQ+ people directly. A 2025 version, H.R. 3696, was introduced with bipartisan sponsorship by Representatives Brad Schneider and Brian Fitzpatrick. Federal agency guidance has at times interpreted the existing sex protections to cover LGBTQ+ people, but that reading can shift between administrations, which is why advocates seek explicit statutory protection.