Discrimination in real estate - it still happens

Unfortunately, in this day and age, discrimination in housing is still alive in many parts of the country.  In California, the Fair Employment and Housing Act makes it unlawful for a landlord, managing agent, real estate broker, or salesperson to discriminate against any person because of the person’s race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, or physical or mental disability.  The laws in California are more inclusive of the national Fair Housing Act, which only considers race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap.

Just last month, Bank of America finally settled a suit that charged Countrywide, a bank they purchased, with discriminating against Hispanic and African Americans under their mortgage practice.  The New York Times writes:

A department investigation concluded that Countrywide loan officers and brokers charged higher fees and rates to more than 200,000 minority borrowers across the country than to white borrowers who posed the same credit risk. Countrywide also steered more than 10,000 minority borrowers into costly subprime mortgages when white borrowers with similar credit profiles received regular loans, it found.

An Ohio landlady put this sign up to deter a black teen from swimming in the complex's pool

In Ohio, a landlady put up a “White Only” sign at her apartment complex pool.  AOL Real Estate reports that she wanted to deter a black teenager who was visiting her parents from going swimming, as she was worried that the chemicals in the girl’s hair would make the pool cloudy.  Fortunately, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission found her in violation of the Ohio Civil Rights Act, though it doesn’t name what the ramification is.  The landlady claims she isn’t racist, but has yet to apologize or express remorse or regret.

“If I have to stick up for my white rights, I have to stick up for my white rights. It goes both ways.”

Please…

In Chicago, an African American radio personality is suing a couple, alleging that they are refusing to sell their house to them because of their race.  You would think that in this market, you would just want to sell but that doesn’t seem to be the case, as CBS Chicago writes:

Willborn and his family attempted in January 2010 to purchase an 8,000-square-foot home in the South Side Bridgeport neighborhood owned by Daniel and Adrienne Sabbia for $1.7 million…In Feb. 2010, the federal Housing and Urban Development filed a complaint alleging the Sabbias, who are white, of backing out of an oral agreement to sell their home to the Willborns, who are black.

The house is still on the market.

Have you been unfairly discriminated against?  Know your rights – visit the CA Dept of Affairs website to learn more.