<Li> Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin . </Li> <Li> Coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a person's enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on discriminatory reasons or retaliating against a person or organization that aids or encourages the exercise or enjoyment of fair housing rights . </Li> <P> When the Fair Housing Act was first enacted, it prohibited discrimination only on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin . Sex was added as a protected characteristic in 1974 . In 1988, disability and familial status (the presence or anticipated presence of children under 18 in a household) were added (further codified in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). In certain circumstances, the law allows limited exceptions for discrimination based on sex, religion, or familial status . </P> <P> The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is the federal executive department with the statutory authority to administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act . The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development has delegated fair housing enforcement and compliance activities to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and HUD's Office of General Counsel . FHEO is one of the United States' largest federal civil rights agencies . It has a staff of more than 600 people located in 54 offices around the United States . As of August 2017, the head of FHEO is Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Anna Maria Farias, whose appointment was confirmed on August 3, 2017 . </P>

The fair housing amendments act of 1988 prohibits housing discrimination against all except