Lord knows what Uncle Sam paid earlier this month to run advertisements across 900 movie theater screens in an effort to make people more aware of their fair housing rights -- or perhaps advise sellers and landlords that it is against the law to discriminate against folks when it comes to housing.

But either way, judging by the latest statistics which show the huge number of discrimination complaints taken by federal agencies during the 2006 fiscal year, the outlay was necessary.

The government received 10,328 housing discrimination complaints, the highest number ever filed in a single year, according to an annual fair housing report released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

HUD's report, which details the department's enforcement efforts during the year, said that race and disability top the list of reasons why individuals filed complaints. Indeed, race and disability were virtually tied as the most common bases of housing discrimination reported to HUD and state and local government agencies funded through its Fair Housing Assistance Program.

Of the more than 10,000 complaints filed, 40 percent alleged racial discrimination while nearly the same percentage alleged discrimination against persons with disabilities. Complainants, according to the report, most often alleged discrimination in the terms and conditions of the sale or rental of housing, or refusal to rent.

The report was released as a part of National Fair Housing Month, which occurs every April to mark the signing of the Fair Housing Act.

"This report shows the importance of HUD's continued enforcement, education, and outreach activities to ensure that all Americans have access to housing opportunities," explained Kim Kendrick, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "As diverse as this country is, we still see instances where individuals are denied housing because of the color of their skin or because they have physical disabilities that require certain accommodations. Not only is that not acceptable morally, it is against the law."

The report describes HUD's enforcement activities, including summaries of several cases that were examined by federal investigators during FY 2006. In one instance, an African-American woman in Pennsylvania was denied the opportunity to rent a house because of her race. In another, an Illinois couple who wanted to rent an apartment were rejected because they had a child. And in a third case, a Hawaii man who had a disability was denied permission to make structural modifications so he could use and enjoy his dwelling

For the uninitiated, the Fair Housing Act, which became the law in 1968, make it illegal to discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of dwellings based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability.

People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at 800-669-9777. Additional information is available at hud.gov/fairhousing.

In case you didn't go to the movies between April 6-13, the 15-second ads highlighted the kinds of transactions covered by the Fair Housing Act and listed HUD's toll-free discrimination hotline and web address. According to research, cinema ads of this type are particularly effective in reaching diverse audiences, and have been shown to deliver five to six times more unaided recall than the typical television commercial.

"Our hope is to educate moviegoers of all races and ethnicities," said HUD's Kendrick. "Since April is Fair Housing Month, this was the perfect time to roll out this new outreach effort."

Published: April 18, 2007

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.