More than one-third (36%) of Hispanics who recently moved say they were discriminated against during their home search while 32% of Blacks reported feeling the same, according to a new Redfin survey.
An additional 22% of Hispanics and Blacks, respectively, said they may have been discriminated against during their home search.
Overall, Asian respondents (20%) were less likely than other minorities to report discrimination, but 27% reported that they may have faced discrimination. Meanwhile, 12% of White respondents said they faced discrimination when looking for a home.
Additionally, discrimination drove roughly one in 10 Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ+ respondents away from their former neighborhood, Redfin found.
The Redfin survey, conducted in spring and summer 2023, was sent to more than 5,000 U.S. residents who rent a home or either moved in the last year or plan to move in the next year.
Discrimination persists despite fair housing laws making it illegal
The Fair Housing Act is federal legislation aimed at protecting people from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability when they rent or buy a home. The law also protects consumers when they apply for a mortgage or seek housing assistance.
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to refuse to rent or sell a home, reject negotiations or charge higher prices to consumers who fall into one of those protected categories, the report highlighted.
At the same time, 22% of LGBTQ+ people surveyed reported that they were discriminated against based on their sexual orientation during the home search.
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “sex” includes gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes. And in February 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) vowed to administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically.
Real estate professionals take proactive steps to stamp out hate
Four major diversity trade organizations within the real estate industry recently joined forces to launch Stop Hate in Real Estate, a platform empowering real estate professionals with the opportunity to speak up against housing discrimination.
It also features a petition real estate agents can sign, agreeing to these four affirmations:
- I believe we have the power to help change the trajectory of our nation so that we don’t have to wake up each morning to headlines of discrimination and hate.
- I want to advance the right to homeownership for all.
- I support the positive impact the real estate industry can make in stamping out discrimination and hate.
- I believe that I can be a positive influence within my sphere of influence and community, and do what I can to combat discrimination and hate when I see it.
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and WomanUP! are the four organizations behind StopHateinRealEstate.org.
