Skip to main content

WHY does Orange and Durham Counties Have Highest Housing Discrimination Complaints Per Capita


A recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that in North Carolina, Orange and Durham counties have the highest rates of filed housing discrimination complaints. In the past five years, disability and racial discrimination accounted for 47.6% and 32.4% of all housing discrimination complaints, respectively.

            Although this may sound like an extreme issue with the community, Jeffrey Dillman and Jack Holtzman, the co-directors of the Fair Housing Project, note that the reason for these percentages could be because the residents of those counties are more aware of their rights compared to residents from other counties. Holtzman noted that the Fair Housing Project believes that those from different counties “may not be as educated about their housing rights or outlets to report discrimination.” He went on to highlight that there are a substantial percentage of individuals throughout North Carolina that do not know how to file housing complaints, or where they could file complaints even if they wanted to.

            The means in which landlords discriminate have evolved over time; racial slurs are rarer in an era where unrecognized backdoor methods of discrimination go unnoticed. Racial housing discrimination plays a big role in neighborhoods wanting to maintain a certain “aesthetic” to keep property values high. These practices typically occur in areas of white residents.

            Erika Wilson, a professor from the UNC School of Law, noted that many jurisdictions are entertaining the thought to implement legislation that prohibits the discrimination of tenants based on source of income. Landlords are legally allowed to reject tenants because they have Section 8 vouchers, and many have considered this to be legalized discrimination, because many Section 8 voucher recipients are people of color.

            In regard to disability and discrimination, many landlords discriminate against those with disabilities because of the cost, it is more expensive to rent to those with disabilities compared to those without disabilities. EmPOWERment Inc. has created an initiative to purchase homes and properties and turn them into affordable rentals. Currently, EmPOWERment owns 50 rental units.  

            Holtzman recommends two things when it comes to housing discrimination are enforcement and education. Additionally, Holtzman highlights that the general public needs to see housing as a human right, that is guaranteed to all.

https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/02/housing-discrimination-0210

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Pinklining"? Innovative way to deny women home loans

From redlining to  “pinklining,” a term most people have probably never heard, is hurting women and especially women of color.  The term comes from the 1970's term   redlining . T he term used by governments, agencies, banks and other lenders to deny people of color access to mortgages and credit. Those in charge of public policy and lending practices would draw a redline around certain neighborhoods with high concentrations of minorities and deny them financing and other forms of credit if they lived within those lines. Now, more specifically lenders are using the term "pinklining" ala redlining to identify neighborhoods and deny woman of color the chance to buy homes. Is There a Gender Gap in Home Equity Loans? (investopedia.com)
Post a Comment
Read more

News Roundup: March 15-26

NFHA President Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee (Reading the full testimony is strongly recommended for anyone interested Fair Housing issues.) On March 11, Shanna Smith of the National Fair Housing Alliance (NHFA) testified before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommitte on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, with a presentation titled "Protecting the American Dream: A Look at the Fair Housing Act." The testimony emphasizes that in spite of our efforts, the nation still falls "dramatically short of reaching the actual goals of the Fair Housing Act" which is designed to "eliminate housing discrimination and to promote residential integration." "While people are working together in greater numbers than ever before--many go home each night to racially segregated neighborhoods." Shanna "explores the nature and extent of housing discrimination as it is manifested today, how enforcement action is moving
Post a Comment
Read more

SunTrust $21Million Settlement with DOJ

This past Thursday, Businessweek covered a massive settlement in a federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in SunTrust’s lending practices. The suit, filed by the US DOJ, was filed in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, VA, alleging more than 20,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers were charged more than similarly-situated and qualified non-Hispanic white borrowers, between 2005 and 2009. The suit alleged that minority borrowers in 75 geographic markets from Virginia Beach, VA to San Francisco, CA, paid more in loan fees, or were charged higher interest rates based solely on race or national origin. A consent order filed with the complaint says SunTrust denies any wrongdoing, but agreed to the settlement. "SunTrust strongly believes in the principles of fair lending," company spokesman Mike McCoy in Atlanta said. "We are pleased to have reached a settlement and put this matter behind us." Settlements like this come as a surprise, considering the
6 comments
Read more