Imagine, if a REALTOR® directed a potential buyer to a particular home because of the racial make-up of the community. Suppose a landlord rented a property to an African-American tenant for a higher amount than a Caucasian tenant? Or, what if families without children were offered renovated apartments, while those with children were placed in older, less modern accommodations?
These are all examples of housing discrimination, which remains prevalent within the rental and sales housing markets in the Philadelphia metropolitan region, according to a report published by the Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia (FHCSP), "
FHCSP Testing Audit: Housing Discrimination Trends in the Philadelphia Region."
FHCSP, located in Swarthmore, Delaware County, advocates equal access to quality and affordable housing for all individuals. Of the more than 140 complaints of housing discrimination received by FHCSP in 2008, more than 90 percent reported discrimination due to disability, race or familial status.
For this report, FHCSP conducted nearly 250 tests between January 2006 and December 2008 in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Additionally, FHCSP used voice profiling to assess the amount of housing discrimination experienced by African-American homebuyers when they called to request information about available housing.
In conducting these tests, FHCSP used individuals, called "testers," to pose as individuals seeking housing and contact a provider about available options. Personal characteristics like household income, employment history and number of occupants were carefully controlled by FHCSP so all testers appeared equally qualified.
The 15-page report detailed the results of tests that were designed to uncover differences in treatment on the basis of race, disability and familial status. Real estate professionals, landlords and property management professionals participated in this study.
Audit Results
The report concluded:
- 54 percent of individuals with voices that sounded African-American were treated less favorably than those sounding white.
- 33 percent of new construction communities violated the design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act.
- 29 percent showed preferential treatment of individuals with voices that sounded sounded Caucasian compared to African-American.
- 27 percent of individuals with disabilities were denied reasonable accommodation or modification requests.
- 19 percent showed preferential treatment favoring households without children over those with children.
Discrimination existed in many instances, especially when comparing African-American testers to Caucasian testers:
- 54 percent of testers sounding African-American were treated less favorably than testers sounding white.
- 45 percent of African-Americans received different terms and conditions. They were not informed of discounts that were extended to Caucasian callers and their application fees and security deposits were higher.
- 23 percent of African-Americans experienced screening or inferior service. They received less detail about available housing and, if several instances, did not receive a return phone call from the provider.
- 22 percent of African-Americans were directed to different apartments or communities. They were not informed of all available options.
Voice Profiling Testing by Provider Type
The tests indicated that property managers and real estate professionals were more likely to engage in discrimination than private landlords. According to the FHCSP, this is surprising because property managers and real estate agents are trained frequently on Fair Housing laws. The percentage of professionals engaging in discrimination was:
- 60 percent of property managers.
- 57 percent of real estate professionals.
- 48 percent of apartment complexes.
- 40 percent of private landlords.
Testing Results by County
FHCSP conducted testing within the five Pennsylvania counties, but focused considerably more effort within Philadelphia where a larger portion of the region’s residents live. Delaware and Montgomery counties proved to have the highest rates of discrimination.
- Bucks County - 32 percent
- Chester County - 32 percent
- Delaware County - 42 percent
- Montgomery County - 36 percent
- Philadelphia County - 33 percent
Housing discrimination limits freedom of choice and perpetuates segregation, denying individuals and families the opportunity to live in diverse and open communities. Generally, home buyers are unaware of their protected rights under Fair Housing Act laws - they simply desire a decent place to live to be close to schools, jobs and other quality of life needs.
FHCSP attempts to educate property managers, real estate professionals and private landlords, as well as the general public about housing discrimination. They encourage individuals who have contact with tenants or prospective homebuyers to familiarize themselves with Fair Housing laws and understand their responsibilities to conduct business in a non-discriminatory manner.
Read the complete copy of the report.
Source: Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia. Information re-printed with permission.