Race / color / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "white families" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
Describing the neighbors, residents or buyers by race or color states a racial preference. HUD's 1995 memo gives "white family home" as an example that creates liability. Colors of finishes (white cabinets, black hardware) are fine; this only fires when the color describes people or a neighborhood.
Safer wording
Describe the property, not the people: rewrite this part by hand.
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- HUD "Achtenberg memo": Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c), Jan. 9, 1995
- HUD advertising regulation, 24 CFR § 100.75
- Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
- Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase List (New York Press Assn.; source: Oklahoma Press Assn.)
Related phrases
Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city. Rule race-color-people, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.