Secretary Martinez:

35 years ago, the Fair Housing Act was enacted into law. This landmark Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status.

Nevertheless, housing discrimination remains a problem. Studies indicate that Hispanics and African-Americans still face significant levels of discrimination when trying to buy or rent a home - yet less than 1% of suspected instances of discrimination are reported to the authorities.

President Bush believes that all Americans deserve the opportunity to live where they choose, and he wants all Americans to know their rights.

To ensure this, we have formed a partnership with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Ad Council to launch a nationwide public-education campaign in English and Spanish, designed to educate Americans on their rights.

I believe that this effort will benefit all Americans, particularly minorities, by increasing recognition and reporting of housing discrimination.