The Fair Housing Act at 50

Vincent J. Reina
University of Pennsylvania

Susan M. Wachter
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

In 1968, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a law prohibiting discrimination in the housing market. This piece of Federal legislation represented a significant reversal from Federal and local policies of the past, which promoted segregation. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the FHA also applies to policies that have a disparate impact on members of protected classes. Although discrimination is illegal, it and segregation still exist, along with the long-term economic realities associated with both. This special issue, gathered through a call for papers, features five articles that went through peer-review process and focus on fair housing and the FHA itself. Cumulatively, these articles show the importance of the FHA and the many challenges that remain to truly achieve its original mandate.