Which of the following was a protected class added by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988?

• A. Race
• B. Religion
• C. National origin
• D. Families with children

Answer: (D)

The main concept here is how the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 expanded protection in housing. That amendment added a new protected class: families with children, also called familial status. This means housing decisions cannot be based on whether someone has dependent children under 18, or whether a woman is pregnant, or plans to adopt. The idea is to shield families from discrimination in renting, selling, or financing housing, including practices like denying a unit, imposing different terms, or advertising housing in a way that excludes families with kids.

Race, religion, and national origin were already protected by the original Fair Housing Act from 1968, so they were not newly added in 1988. The 1988 act specifically closed gaps by including familial status and also extending protections to people with disabilities, reinforcing the broader goal of equal housing opportunity.