WASHINGTON, D.C. —The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) released its 2025 Fair Housing Trends Report , revealing a sharp rise in housing discrimination complaints across the United States. According to the report, 32,321 complaints were filed nationwide in 2024 — one of the highest figures in more than two decades — as the country faces a combination of deep funding cuts and the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
Disability-related discrimination made up the majority of complaints, accounting for 54.6% of all filings. Other leading bases of discrimination included race, national origin, sex, familial status, and religion. Complaints based on national origin increased by 8.45% from the previous year, marking the highest number since 2018. Meanwhile, retaliation complaints more than doubled, reaching the highest recorded level.
NFHA’s findings come as the nation’s fair housing enforcement capacity faces severe setbacks. Mass firings at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) during the shutdown have reduced the office’s workforce to just one-third of what it was on January 20, 2025, when President Trump took office.
“This report sends a very clear message: America is in the midst of a fair and affordable housing crisis,” said Lisa Rice, President & CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance. “On top of the crisis, people are being denied housing opportunities because of immutable characteristics like race, gender, and disability status. And what makes this moment especially alarming is that our civil rights infrastructure itself is under attack across the country.”
Funding cuts have also forced several local fair housing agencies to close, weakening the first line of defense against discrimination. These community-based organizations were responsible for investigating nearly 75% of all housing discrimination complaints in 2024. The closures have left some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations — including disabled veterans, seniors, families with children, survivors of domestic violence, and Black and Latino homebuyers — without protection or recourse.
“America’s fair housing infrastructure is being dismantled and defunded in the very moment it’s needed most,” said Nikitra Bailey, NFHA Executive Vice President. “Congress must ensure HUD’s fair housing programs are fully funded and exercise its oversight authority over HUD to ensure decades of civil rights progress is not reversed through executive action. Access to fair housing is a basic human right—it’s the law.”
The 2025 report also highlights the growing role of technology in perpetuating inequality. It warns that artificial intelligence and algorithmic tools used in housing decisions are introducing new risks of digital redlining, steering, and bias in tenant screening and pricing. NFHA is calling for mandatory AI fairness audits and federal transparency standards to prevent these technologies from deepening existing inequities.
“Even though we are facing daunting threats, even though we are facing an unprecedented level of attacks on fair housing—we are still advancing the law. We are still marching forward because justice must prevail,” said Rice.
NFHA is urging Congress to hold immediate oversight hearings and restore full funding to HUD’s fair housing programs.
The full 2025 Fair Housing Trends Report — including comprehensive data, policy recommendations, and member case studies — is available now through NFHA’s website.
