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The following is a statement of Donald J. Cameron, President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, in honor of the thirty-eighth anniversary of the Fair Housing Act:

April 7: America is among the best housed nations in the world. Although this is considered to be the land of freedom and opportunity, it is a sad truth that millions of Americans go without. There is a well-documented gap between those who are adequately housed and those who live in unaffordable, substandard, or undesirable homes. This gap affects families and individuals across a wide range of economic circumstances: according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, one in eight Americans pays more than 50% of their income for housing. The crisis highlighted by this fact is worse for low-income Americans, particularly given the insufficient federal support for housing programs and assistance.

Given these already-considerable challenges, it is unforgivable that an inability to meet the housing needs of all Americans is being further exacerbated by the use of discriminatory housing practices. A report released this week by the National Fair Housing Alliance presents the shocking statistic that 87% of testers encountered racial steering when looking for a home.

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) stands 21,000 members strong in support of the Fair Housing Act, which states that "No person shall be subjected to discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin" when involved in housing-related activities. NAHRO will continue to dedicate our best efforts to ensuring this objective is obtained, so that we may truly provide adequate and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans.