Homeownership is one of the best paths to building intergenerational wealth, especially within communities historically shut out from fair access to the housing market. For families of all races and income levels to prosper and successfully pursue the American dream of homeownership, home appraisals must be accurate and free of bias.
The CFPB administers and enforces federal consumer financial protection laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), which is a landmark civil rights law that protects individuals against discrimination in accessing and using credit. These protections apply to every aspect of a credit transaction with a mortgage lender, including the important step of mortgage lenders relying on home appraisals before approving a loan.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces both ECOA and the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which protects individuals from many forms of discrimination in housing, including discriminatory residential valuations conducted by appraisers and the use of those appraisals by mortgage lenders.
To help ensure appraisals used to make lending decisions are objective and non-discriminatory, the CFPB and DOJ today filed a Statement of Interest in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
For more information on home appraisal discrimination visit the Scoop Blog
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