10/7/14        

Blog Post 3   

For my third blog post, I took a look at racism in the housing industry. Such discrimination may be harder to spot than in the past. However, it is currently very alive. The report I read was released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development showing patterns of leasing real estate among different races. It is shown that leasing agents do not show minorities as many available properties to rent or buy. Blacks were told about 17 percent fewer homes than white homebuyers. Asians were told about 15.5 percent fewer homes and 19 percent fewer properties. 

I can see a clear connection between the discrimination in housing and the segregation in our schools, which I wrote about in my other post. White people get grouped into one neighborhood of elite value, and minorities are shown homes in the remaining neighborhoods. The discrimination leaves minorities in worse schools, in less safety, and limits job opportunities. Creating this socioeconomic divide (where the whites are in wealthier areas than other minorities) allows white schools and facilities to get more funding and vice versa for the other schools. You can see how this cycle unfolds.

This housing discrimination is a clear violation of the Fair Housing Act, which at the very basic level denies a seller to refuse rent or to make housing unavailable on basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

It’s unfair that people are categorized by race or culture. You would think it would be by economics but in this case the chicken came before the egg. What I mean by this is, although white people make up the wealthiest race, it is only because they are provided with opportunities in housing, schools, the job market, and elsewhere. Ultimately, this categorization only generates more ignorance across racial and cultural lines.