The Effects of a Silent Prejudice

While listening to good ol' NPR a while back, I came across a fascinating segment: titled, "For People of Color a Housing Market Partially Hidden From View", this segment brings to light the hidden racism of the housing market. It cites a study, conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute (a nonpartisan think tank in Washington), that found the following data:

1. Black renters learned about 11 percent fewer rental units, and black homebuyers were shown about a fifth fewer homes.
2. Asian renters learned about 7 percent fewer rental units, and Asian homebuyers saw about a fifth fewer homes.
3. Latino renters learned about 12 percent fewer units. (Interestingly, the study found that there was not a statistically significant difference in the way whites and Latino homebuyers were treated.)

In addition to this, whites were often offered lower rents than their minority counterparts. Clearly, it can be concluded that discrimination exists in the housing market. The real question is, what is the effect of this discrimination? 

Well to begin with, it makes housing less affordable for minorities. As stated previously in rental units the price is often simply more expensive for minorities. In addition to this, fewer housing options means that housing can be more expensive.

One less obvious effect that comes from discrimination in the housing market, is the effect it can have on a kid's education. As a resident of the Chicago land area I know that public schools in the northern suburbs are often ranked higher educationally than inner-city public schools. As you can see from the demographics map below the northern suburbs are almost entirely white. This means that white realtors may not offer as many possible housing options in the white northern suburbs as actually exist; thus, not giving minorities an equal chance to enroll at some of the higher ranked schools.

As you can clearly see, even today, the words of Malcom X in his 1964 "Appeal to African Heads of State" reigns true, "America preaches integration, but practices segregation". Although we have come along way since then, it seems that segregation (and the inequality that inevitably follows) still lingers. The only difference is that now it's harder to see, that is, unless you look closely.