Introduction
House discrimination largely involves leasing/renting, putting on sale, or rather acquiring property while handling the individuals performing the buying, renting the property or selling the unit differently because of the characteristics they possess. In the United States of America there exist different discrimination modes which may include charging different fees to different customers according to their class, declining to show applicants who may be immigrants’ properties in different places, or even asking to buy properties for a lesser amount due to their religion, race, sex, origin, and color. A person’s family status has been one of the core issues that has been considered for ages while in the process of acquiring a property in a certain area or jurisdiction. Refusal to hand over a certain piece of property or rather even overpricing or undervaluing an individual property based on their characteristics can be pure form of housing discrimination.
Thesis: In this paper, I will show the simple causes of housing discrimination, the different types of housing discrimination, and how to fight against the cropping up of housing discrimination.
Summary
Discrimination studies that have been done during the past few decades have shown that there has been great racial and ethnic discrimination on leasing and sales markets countrywide.
- Studies have been done over the past decade concerning families having children, people of color, and how they are discriminated on housing.
- Real estate agents and landlords give unequal treatment to different clients based on their identity giving a sense of discrimination.
- The black Americans encountered homes and apartments denial by the whites after the passing of the federal fair housing act.
- Segregation and access limited to areas with high opportunities such as quality schools, hospitals, jobs, and social amenities was something that the African American families experienced.
- Landlords and rental agents showed the African Americans and families from other origins few choices of apartments and homes even if they posed qualities and qualifications that match the other choices.
Forms of Discrimination Affecting Different Groups
Individuals living with disabilities and families having children have also fallen victim of rental discrimination and the effects being immense keeping in mind the vulnerable nature of these group of individuals.
Housing discrimination against the groups that are protected by the fair housing act in the United States of America.
- People living with hearing impairment as one of the known disabilities face the problem of not receiving the communications well ending up being shown only a few units.
- Even though people living with disabilities do not have a lot of problems acquiring units as compared to people without disabilities, they require a lot of communication skills to find units that suit their needs.
- Families with children were shown fewer units that were large and expensive.
- The counterparts of families with children find it difficult to acquire apartments that are large as they are only shown a few units with small surface area to suit them.
Discrimination Against Non-Protected Group
There have been cases in the United States of America of house discrimination against groups such as couples of the same gender and transgender individuals.
- Lesbians, gays, and transgender groups were shown fewer units and apartments as they were considered the unwanted group in society.
- Sometimes the groups were even denied units by being told that there are no available spaces left for them to acquire.
- These group of individuals being seen as an unwanted group within the society makes them to face some sought of rejection. They may not have the confidence to ascertain their issues to the sellers and landlords ending up being discriminated and the properties of their choice being handed to other people.
Discrimination Against Gender, Felony, and Race
Individuals who have ever been convicted often face rejection as they are considered not suitable to reside in a community where we have other people as they may bring a bad influence to the surrounding community.
- For individuals from correctional facilities are always labeled as felons, and terminology causes a lot of harm to their well-being in society.
- The criminal history of a person has been a major issue that is generally used when issuing a unit to an individual.
- These individuals always end up with units that are way below their wishes as they may be denied good units due to their past criminal files.
- People of color and those with criminal records experience a high sense of house instabilities than the individuals with no record in society.
Appraisal House Discrimination of Black Homeowners
Black homeowners always give general feedback about their homes being appraised for less as compared to their counterparts from white neighborhoods.
- Whenever black homeowners wanted to sell their units were appraised for fewer amounts as compared to that their counterparts of the white race.
- Blacks have been identified as the group that has difficulties when acquiring home loans compared to whites.
- These groups face denial of mortgages for their houses as they are people of color.
- However, the appraisers are bound legally by the fair housing act of 1968 therefore when found guilty of house discrimination can lose their license to conduct business.
- The appraisers are also bound to performance and ethics standards which tend at derailing and limiting house discrimination within the society.
- Racial segregation remains to be one of the key factors that have greatly affected housing policies.
Different local jurisdictions and states have added a few clauses on top of the fair housing act of 1968 to protect persons living with different sexual orientation, for instance the transgender individuals not forgetting the other groups of individuals within the society. For instance, the rental agents, landlords, and caretakers cannot be given access to an individual’s criminal record for assessment before handing over a housing unit. Some states also disallow house discrimination against immigrants, race, and sexual orientation.
In addition, racial segregation has remained to be one of the common means of discrimination as housing valuation for people of a different race has always been an issue. It has been established that when an individual is of a different race when acquiring a property, it is given a value that is way higher than the real quoted value. However, despite the housing act and rules some landlords and sellers keep on refusing to show some groups of individuals the whole portfolio of available housing units. The act of hindering persons’ full listings within other neighborhoods promotes segregation.
Housing discrimination has deprived individuals of a place to reside. The African American group has undergone immense devastation in their ability to build wealth in America. This has been due to the preferential treatment being given to the whites as compared to the blacks within the society. The huge gap in wealth accumulation has been factored by the reason that the white community has a good ability to acquire property in high-end areas. Only a tiny percentage of individuals from the black community can acquire units at a very prime age.
Fighting Against Housing Discrimination
In the United States of America there are several ways under which discrimination can be reduced even though it is not always easy to prove discrimination due to its nature.
- Taking note of some of the red flag language which might tip on discrimination can be used.
- Being able to note some of the unexpected roadblocks which might be a sign of discrimination against a certain group.
- Coming up with a credit negative credit information database that would assist buyers to know their status before looking for a property.
- Reporting of the sellers and landlords who have proved to carry out housing discrimination through filing a federal complaint.
- Whenever an individual is denied a mortgage unlawfully, they should file a complaint against the said institution.
Conclusions
- IN conclusion, housing discrimination has proved to be an issue even in the 21st century.
- House discrimination can result in bringing an economic imbalance in the country by rendering different groups of people with an unbalanced accruing of wealth as some will have more properties as compared to other individuals People may end up living in areas where they do not prefer as they may not be able to secure units and apartments in places where they feel fit to live and that can result in a low quality of living and an unbalanced community.
- Therefore, housing discrimination is something that should be fought by all means within a country.
References
Aranda, C. L. (2019). Housing discrimination in America: Lessons from the last decade of paired-testing research: Testimony before the house appropriations thud subcommittee. Policy Commons, 46(2), 96-115.
Evans, D. N., Blount-Hill, K. L., & Cubellis, M. A. (2019). Examining housing discrimination across race, gender, and felony history. Housing Studies, 34(14), 761-778.
Kamin, D. (2020). Black homeowners face discrimination in appraisals. One Homeowner, 29(1), 1-5.
Lederer, A., & McCracken, T. (2021). The many effects of housing discrimination on African Americans. National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Web.
Quillian, L., Lee, J. J., & Honoré, B. (2020). Racial discrimination in the U.S. housing and mortgage lending markets: A quantitative review of trends, 1976–2016. Race and Social Problems, 12(2), 13-28.
Zonta, M. (2019). Racial disparities in home appreciation. American Progress. Italicized. Web.