SC.GOV: The Official Web site of the State of South Carolina

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Commerce salutes the celebration of April as national Fair Housing Month.  This year marks the 39^th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the federal law that prohibits discrimination in housing.  The national theme for this year’s observance of Fair Housing Month is “Fair Housing: It’s Not An Option, It’s The Law.” 

In 1989, South Carolina passed a fair housing law that provides rights and remedies substantially equivalent to those found in the Federal Fair Housing Act.  At the time of passage, South Carolina was the first State in the Southeast region, and the second state in the nation to pass a Fair Housing Law recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as being substantially equivalent to the national Fair Housing Law. 

Recognizing the importance of fair housing benefits South Carolina’s citizens by providing opportunities and improving quality of life.  The Community Development Block Grant program in the South Carolina Department of Commerce supports fair housing opportunities for all citizens in the Palmetto State.