Housing discrimination often is not as obvious as having a racial slur directed at potential home buyers and renters, or having a door slammed in their faces. Rather, unsuspecting people may be graciously turned away from their choice of housing, even if they are qualified.
This year marks the 38th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to: refuse to rent or sell housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability; say that housing is unavailable when in fact it is; show apartments or homes only in certain neighborhoods; advertise housing to preferred groups only; impose different terms or conditions on a mortgage loan; refuse to make reasonable accommodations for persons with a disability; or harass, coerce, intimidate, or interfere with anyone exercising or assisting someone else with his or her fair housing rights.
Each April during Fair Housing Month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development--the agency that enforces the nation’s fair housing laws--commemorates the passage of the Fair Housing Act with a series of events around the country to help educate the public and housing providers that fair housing is not an option, but the law.
“Although we’re making steady progress, a number of housing discrimination cases still go unreported because people are unfamiliar with the laws or do not recognize the signs,” said Julie Fagan, HUD’s Connecticut State Director.
This year, Fair Housing Month was launched by HUD Assistant Secretary Kim Kendrick in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. and countless unnamed heroes of the Civil Rights movement fought for laws that would afford everyone the access and equality guaranteed under the Constitution.
Dr. King was an outspoken advocate for fair housing. He understood how entrenched the forces of residential segregation are in our society. He knew that many people in the United States were resistant to change, and that nothing would change if people didn’t demand it.
Housing discrimination today is different from what the leaders of the Civil Rights movement faced 40 years ago. Instead of dealing with blatant discrimination, people now face covert acts that are intended to evade the law. Often it takes place not in what realtors or property managers tell prospective tenants or buyers, but in what they don’t tell them. For example, rather than showing minority clients the full range of available properties, they may only be shown properties in certain neighborhoods. Rather than having access to the full range of loan products, members of certain groups may be steered to products that come with higher interest rates and hidden fees.
“Unfortunately, racial steering is alive and well in America, but we are working hard to put an end to this practice through education and enforcement,” said Kendrick. “Not only is steering against the law, but it also tarnishes the reputation of all law-abiding realtors.”
Discrimination is also more complex than just the color of a person’s skin. According to HUD, the most prevalent type of housing discrimination is against people with physical and/or mental disabilities, accounting for nearly 40% of all complaints nationally. About 53 million Americans, or nearly one in every five, have some type of physical disability. Yet, they continue to face discrimination.
In New England, 582 fair housing cases were filed in fiscal year 2005, with 243 being filed because of a disability/reasonable accommodation, 147 because of race, 146 because of family status, 63 because of national origin, 26 because of color, 22 because of retaliation, 20 because of sex, and eight because of religion.
“Everyone has a right to choose where they live,” said Fagan. “HUD, in conjunction with local partners such as the Connecticut Fair Housing Center in Hartford, will continue to protect all Americans against violations of their housing rights.”
People who feel they have faced housing discrimination should call 800-669-9777 or visit HUD’s website at www.hud.gov/complaints/housediscrim.cfm.