U.S. Supreme Court continues to allow Fair Housing Act to fully protect Americans against discrimination
Today’s ruling means a decades-long principle prohibiting housing discrimination remains in place
The U.S. Supreme Court today, in a 5-4 opinion, upheld the Fair Housing Act’s ability to protect Americans against discrimination and ensure equal access to housing.
The high court held in Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs v. the Inclusive Communities Project that the Fair Housing Act will continue to protect against all housing practices that discriminate, whether or not the discrimination was intentional.
In response to the decision, Asian Americans Advancing Justice issued the following statement:
“It’s reassuring that the high court has maintained an essential tool for fighting discrimination,” said Mee Moua, president and executive direction of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. “The Fair Housing Act for decades has helped many communities fight discrimination and allowed for millions of Americans to access opportunity. Today’s decision means women, people of color, people with disabilities and same-sex couples could still have a fair shot at achieving the American Dream. The Court’s ruling will prevent discrimination that stands in the way of renting or owning a home, and open to door to for all Americans to have the opportunity to live in communities with safe streets, good jobs and high-performing public schools.”
Advancing Justice signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief in support of maintaining disparate impact legal test as a vital legal tool to ensure that renters and homeowners are protected against discrimination and can equally access housing.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice – AAJC (Washington, D.C.), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Chicago, and Advancing Justice – Los Angeles.