What important addition was included in the FHA in 1988?

The significant addition to the Fair Housing Act (FHA) in 1988 was the inclusion of familial status. This amendment made it illegal to discriminate against families with children under the age of 18 in housing matters. Prior to this change, families with children faced various challenges in accessing housing, as some landlords may have preferred to rent exclusively to adults or imposed restrictions based on the presence of minors. This addition aimed to provide greater protection and to ensure that families could secure housing without facing discrimination based on the presence of children.

Familial status protection helps to promote diversity in housing opportunities and ensures that families can coexist within various communities. Some of the other options, while they address important aspects of housing discrimination, were not added in this particular amendment. For example, disability status had already been included in earlier legislation, and age requirements and marital status do not fit within the scope of the amendments that expanded protections in 1988.