To commemorate the 57th anniversary of the passage of the National Fair Housing Act, the Legal Defense Fund’s (LDF) is releasing two housing justice publications. The first publication – Barred from Housing: The Discriminatory Impact of Criminal History Restrictions in Tenant Screening – highlights how public and private housing providers often use overly broad and restrictive criminal record policies that limit housing opportunities. According to the report, these policies may violate the Fair Housing Act by having unjustified discriminatory effects on Black tenants.
The second publication is a podcast episode entitled “The Promises and Threats of Algorithms in Housing,” which details the increased use of algorithms and predictive technologies in the housing industry. Guests on the episode, including Maryland Legal Aid, argue that while algorithmic technologies have the potential to increase equity by removing human bias from decision-making, there is very little transparency and oversight over these tools and there is clear evidence that these technologies are replicating and amplifying existing biases.
“Access to safe, affordable housing is critical to the fight for a stronger, more equitable, and more prosperous country,” said Karla McKanders, Director of the Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI). “At a time when the administration is undermining fair housing policies and cutting funds for various programs meant to remedy housing discrimination, our publications draw attention to the prevalence of housing discrimination and the continued need for essential housing protections to ensure all communities have access to safe, dignified, and affordable housing. We are proud to work alongside advocates from across the country to make the dream of fair housing a reality for those who are most often denied it.”
These publications are an extension of the TMI’s efforts to advance LDF’s mission of ensuring equitable access to housing for Black families and communities. To learn more about housing discrimination and the work being done to fight it, view The Black-White Racial Wealth Gap and Bad Housing Blues: Discrimination in the Housing Choice Voucher Program in Memphis, Tennessee.
Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s TMI is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative.
