Neighborhoods are for everyone, but that wasn’t always the case.  

2025 marks the 57th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act which was signed into law on April 11, 1968.  

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on: 

• race
• national origin
• religion
• sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation)
• disability
• and familial status

Oregon State law also protects recipients of public assistance and survivors of domestic violence. 

April is Fair Housing Month 

At the Hillsboro City Council meeting on April 1, 2025, Ann Hawkins, who serves as Hillsboro’s Community Development Block Grant Coordinator, and John Miller, Executive Director of Fair Housing Council of Oregon, joined Mayor Beach Pace in declaring April to be Fair Housing Month in the City of Hillsboro.   

Housing discrimination can take many forms, including community members seeking to rent, purchase, finance, or obtain insurance on a home, land use regulations, or neighbor-on-neighbor harassment.  

The concept of “fair housing” recognizes that people have the right to choose where they live, but legal protection has not guaranteed that the doors to equal housing opportunity are kept open. Federal, State, and Local fair housing laws all play a part in protecting people seeking housing.  

“Fair Housing Month serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to provide fair housing opportunities for all people in the community,” Hawkins said.  

During the proclamation, Mayor Pace spoke of her experience attempting to find housing as an Army lieutenant during the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ era. 

“I was told they didn’t rent to my kind, and I was nervous for many reasons,” Mayor Pace recalled. “One, I needed housing, but two, I was afraid that this woman would — based on how I looked — go to my commander and make a complaint. So, I was worried about not only my housing, but my career.”  

Through the promotion of fair housing education, and the enforcement of fair housing practices, we can help eliminate housing discrimination and create welcoming, diverse and inclusive communities.  

“We are really honored that Hillsboro has taken this action tonight to reaffirm the commitment to fair housing here, in this community,” Miller said. 

Learn About Housing Discrimination 

Anywhere but Here: The History of Housing Discrimination in Oregon 
Wednesday, April 16 to Wednesday, April 30 at Hillsboro Civic Center 

View the seven-panel exhibit that chronicles Oregon’s largely unknown history of discrimination, segregation, and displacement. Learn about the progress we’ve made in overcoming this history and the challenges that remain. 

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Discrimination While Applying 

Housing discrimination is treating a person differently in any housing transaction because that person is a member of a protected class. 

Reasonable Accommodation 

If you are living with a disability learn your rights to make a request for a landlord to make an exception to a policy, rule, or procedure. 

Children and Section 8 

It is illegal to discriminate against families with children and people who use Section 8 vouchers. Creating rules aimed at children causes a disparate impact for families with children. A disparate impact is when a rule or procedure sounds neutral but when put into practice, causes a negative and disproportionate impact on a particular group. 

Harassment by Neighbors

It's illegal to discriminate against people because of their national origin or sexual orientation. If both neighbors have the same landlord, and the harassments is based on a protected class, than the landlord has a legal responsibility to protect fair housing rights of the people being harassed and to stop the harassment. 

Discrimination While Exiting Housing

Housing providers should be consistent in how they are treating all tenants. 

How to Report Housing Discrimination 

If you believe your rights may have been violated, we encourage you to report housing discrimination. 

When reporting housing discrimination, please gather as much information as possible, including: 

1. Document all interactions with landlords or housing providers and neighbors. Keep a record of all documents, letters, receipts, contracts, emails, voicemail messages, and notices.
2. Take pictures of the issue, if possible.
3. Get names and numbers of the people involved
4. Record details such as the date(s) of the incident(s), address where it happened, costs you incur, etc.
5. Talk to neighbors: You might not be the only person experiencing the issue. 
6. Contact the Fair Housing Council of Oregon | Phone: (800) 424-3247 ext 2