The African-American population in the United States has faced housing discrimination. Homeownership, or being able to pay monthly rent, is an important part of a person’s life, which contributes to its stability. According to Zonta (2019), the main issues that African-Americans face are stagnant incomes, rising housing prices, and the lack of government help for underprivileged families. As a result, the population that requires assistance to obtain housing and leads a normal life does not have access to this aid.
The issue of rent prices and their continuous increase that is not reflected in the rise of income is one of the core issues that affect the African-American population. Mainly, according to Zonta (2019), the majority of African-American and Latino families in the United States rent their house as opposed to having ownership of it. Therefore, the issue of increasing rent prices affects these communities the most. Moreover, there are differences in the cost of a home in Black and White communities. According to Lederer and McCracken (2021), properties in Black communities do not appraise for the same amount as comparable homes in White neighborhoods, and since they do not appraise for the same amount, Black homeowners miss out on this additional wealth. This loss of wealth contributes to the persistence of the racial wealth difference.
The housing discrimination leads to the African-Americans not being able to fulfill their legal right to obtain a home as opposed to the other ethnicities that reside in the state. Lederer and McCracken (2021) state that The Fair Housing Act’s goal is to prevent the persistence of segregation by prohibiting discrimination. Still, the African-American community does not have this equal access due to the increasing prices and the disparities that the members of this community face.
References
Lederer, A. & McCracken, T. (2021). The many effects of housing discrimination on African Americans. NCRC.
Zonta, M. (2019). Racial disparities in home appreciation. CAP.