Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017
Official title: To extend the protections of the Fair Housing Act to persons suffering discrimination on the basis of sex or sexual orientation, and for other purposes.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017
This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. (Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.)
The bill defines: (1) "gender identity" as gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
The bill also extends prohibitions against housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, handicap, familial status, or national origin to include discrimination based on: (1) an individual's association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; and (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1447: Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1447/
"H.R. 1447: Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1447/.
H.R. 1447, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1447/.
[H.R. 1447: Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1447/)