Why Fighting for Fair Housing is Still Important

Nannaette Bishop saw an advertisement in a Kentuckynewspaper about an opportunity for first-time homebuyers to receive $60,000 in subsidies to help people buy their own home. A Black single mother with two young sons, who worked for an underwriter, she had corrected her credit problems and thought this was her opportunity to buy a home. She saw homeownership—the ultimate achievement of the American Dream—as a way to provide "a future for her sons." Ms. Bishop went out and found a $130,000 house that, with the advertised subsidies she could afford. However, when she went to closing on the mortgage, she was informed that she would not get the loan because "she wasn't qualified."

Shocked and dismayed, Ms. Bishop cried and then got mad. She took her papers to her boss who reviewed them and said there was no financial reason she should not have received the loan. Ms. Bishop believed that she had been denied the mortgage because of her race. She wrote letters to local elected officials, civil rights groups and others, but did not get any response. She cried some more, saying, "to deny me because of the color of my skin is not fair. Say you don't like my personality or something else, but not for the color of my skin. I'm willing to pay my share."

Then she wrote to us at HUD. One of our attorneys called to speak with her and found her allegations, after an initial investigation, were true. People with credit ratings equal to or less than hers, but who were white, were being approved for mortgages by the same bank that had denied Ms. Bishop. With the help of HUD, she filed a discrimination complaint and was able to work out a $125,000 settlement with the discriminatory bank.

Ms. Bishop is now a happy homeowner. She joined me earlier this month to kick off the opening ceremony at HUD for National Fair Housing Month. Accompanied by her two sons, she recounted her tale of the determination and outrage that are necessary to fight discrimination.

Yet, while there was a happy ending for Ms. Bishop and her sons, unfortunately in 2006, HUD received 10,328 housing discrimination complaints, the largest number ever filed in single a year with discrimination based on the color of one's skin or physical disability as the leading causes. Most of the complaints alleged discrimination in terms of the sale of housing or the refusal to rent.

While it is disappointing that housing discrimination is still prevalent, it is heartening to see people like Ms. Bishop who take action when they suspect they have been discriminated against. Fighting housing discrimination can lead to successful outcomes as our recent Report on Fair Housing details:

• A case that resulted in a $40,000 settlement for an African-American woman in Pennsylvaniawho alleged that she was denied the opportunity to rent a house because of her race.



• A case that resulted in a $7,500 settlement for a couple in Illinoiswho alleged that they were denied the opportunity to rent an apartment because they had a child.



• A case that resulted in a $15,000 settlement for a man with a disability in Hawaiiwho alleged that he was denied permission to make structural modifications necessary to enjoy his dwelling.

With these kinds of results, HUD will continue to aggressively fight housing discrimination. One of the ways we do this is through the awarding of Fair Housing Initiative Programs grants to help educate the public on what constitutes unlawful discrimination and how to report it. In 2006, our grant recipients conducted 697 public events that provided 250,800 people with fair housing information. Additionally, HUD launched a special media campaign to inform survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita of their rights under the Fair Housing Act. This year, we have awarded $18.1 million to 102 groups nationally to conduct fair housing enforcement and education activities.

HUD will also continue to pursue increasing the stock of accessible housing for persons with disabilities through Voluntary Compliance Agreements, which we currently have in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Lafayette, Louisiana. Another way that we are working to increase the accessible housing stock is through the Fair Housing Accessibility First program. HUD trains architects, builders, developers and others involved in the design and construction of public and private multifamily housing on the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

We encourage all people who believe they are victims of housing discrimination to contact HUD on 1-800-669-9777 (voice), or 800-927-9275 (TTY). More information on housing discrimination and how to file a housing discrimination complaint is available on our website, www.hud.gov/fairhousing. Always remember, "Fair housing is not an option. It's the law!"

Kim Kendrick is the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.