Residential Segregation
Residential segregation is a fact of American life and society. While some say discrimination is declining, it continues to show in nearly all aspects of the housing industry in the United States. While The Fair Housing Act should have been a monumental step in civil rights, it has not been supported and has not been able to show efforts to promote and obtain equality in the housing industry. This paper will look at the issues of The Fair Housing Act and the current state of housing segregation, evaluate its weaknesses in meeting its original purpose and goals, and highlight the government’s weak enforcement mechanisms and overall support. This Civil Rights step has not been completely successful and there is need for additional action in
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Amendments were made in following years in order to expand the protections and power of the Fair Housing Act, since the first time it was written without much detail. Prior to 1974, sex was not protected as part of this act, and prior to 1988, those with disabilities and families with children were not considered a protected group. Before the amendments to the Fair Housing Act were made in 1988, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was only allowed to resolve issues of discrimination through informal methods and could not punish violators of the act. But after these amendments were added, HUD was allowed to investigate and further resolve issues with legal action. The Housing and Development Division stated that the amendment to the Fair Housing Act specified to prohibit additional …show more content…
The 2000 Periodic Report states that, “for many years, the federal government itself was responsible for promoting racial discrimination in housing and residential segregation” (United States of America 53). Instead of working with the Fair Housing Act, many policies that are supported by the United States government act against its purpose. Public housing policies, the Section 8 program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and Zoning all contribute to working against the Fair Housing Act by not promoting a more even geographic distribution of housing possibility (“History of Fair Housing”). The government’s response to this
Amendments were made in following years in order to expand the protections and power of the Fair Housing Act, since the first time it was written without much detail. Prior to 1974, sex was not protected as part of this act, and prior to 1988, those with disabilities and families with children were not considered a protected group. Before the amendments to the Fair Housing Act were made in 1988, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was only allowed to resolve issues of discrimination through informal methods and could not punish violators of the act. But after these amendments were added, HUD was allowed to investigate and further resolve issues with legal action. The Housing and Development Division stated that the amendment to the Fair Housing Act specified to prohibit additional …show more content…
The 2000 Periodic Report states that, “for many years, the federal government itself was responsible for promoting racial discrimination in housing and residential segregation” (United States of America 53). Instead of working with the Fair Housing Act, many policies that are supported by the United States government act against its purpose. Public housing policies, the Section 8 program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and Zoning all contribute to working against the Fair Housing Act by not promoting a more even geographic distribution of housing possibility (“History of Fair Housing”). The government’s response to this