The Federal Fair Housing Act - Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act (1968) makes illegal any act of discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. This includes not only the sale but also the rental of housing and land. The law particularly proscribes the following:

Refusing to negotiate or enter into contract with a person on account of race, color, religion, or national origin.

Changing terms, conditions, or services as a subtle means of excluding such persons in this protected class.

Discriminating through advertisement of real estate.

Falsely and selectively claiming that property is not for rent or sale for the purpose of discrimination.

Profiteering or inducing panic selling by exacerbating discriminatory attitudes in any way. Example: Representing to owners that racial or religious compositions in the neighborhood are changing, that persons within these protected categories are moving in and therefore owners ought to sell. Other examples are steering, which means to show prospects only certain neighborhoods, blockbusting, and subtle less favorable treatment.

Denying loans to such people for discriminatory reasons.

Denying such persons common real estate services such as access to multiple listing, Realtorships, real estate organizations, etc.

In 1988 the act was expanded to include two new categories. It?s now illegal to discriminate against

1. The handicapped and impaired
2. Families with children

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that also applies to the handicapped and impaired. It usually deals more with issues of hiring and employment, but it does deal with building codes and the design of public buildings.