Yes, believe it! Housing discrimination still exists, and housing discrimination has increased in the last few years. Discrimination in our communities continues to be a real problem. In today’s real estate business, however, it is far less evident than more than half a century ago when many people of color were barred from purchasing or renting homes in specific neighborhoods, and women struggled to get mortgages . Discrimination is not as blatant as in the past--there is modern-day housing discrimination. A renter can return from a rental showing and wonder if the renter has been discriminated against because the apartment is suddenly no longer available or the renter is told you would be “better and happier” in a different neighborhood. That is discrimination without the direct denial we do not rent to "_____________"! A recent study indicated that overall complaints were 5.74 percent higher in 2022 than in 2021, and the data revealed an increase in complaints
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination in the sale, lease, purchase, investment or loan process, based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, and have recently added protection for housing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces the Act through the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office (FHEO). However, the Fair Housing Act does not protect transactions or leases involving for sale or for rent by owner properties and some owner-occupied buildings. Currently, a bill (the “Equality Act”) is waiting to pass the Senate, which would amend civil rights law to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity in credit and housing, employment, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, and the jury system. This article discusses certain LGBTQ homebuyer statistics, warning signs of housing disc