Guest Post: Kristie Lewis, Housing discrimination a very real problem for immigrants

The search for fair housing is among the many challenges facing immigrants in the United States. Denying someone housing on the basis of their immigration status or simply because they appear “foreign” is discriminatory in the highest degree, but that doesn’t mean that the problem isn’t widespread throughout the country.

The nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Consumer Action recently reported that 70% of community groups in the US view housing discrimination as a very real and serious threat to minority groups, particularly among immigrants. The report states that immigrants are among the most disenfranchised of consumer groups who seek adequate housing, whether through owning or renting property. The information from the report was gathered from various community based organization throughout the country who work with the most underserved groups of people, including immigrants.

An uphill battle for immigrants seeking housing

The Consumer Action report goes on to outline the extent of the real and damaging discrimination facing immigrants, disabled peoples, and other marginalized consumers as reported by over 500 community based organizations. Nearly half of the community based organizations contacted for the report stated that housing discrimination was a very serious problem among immigrants, who struggle to address discriminatory actions taken against them due to crippling lingual, cultural, or social barriers. Moreover, many community based organizations voiced their frustrations in adequately addressing housing discrimination because the offense can be so difficult to identify. Moreover, some immigrant groups may not fully understand (or have access to) awareness initiatives promulgated by community based organizations.

The Consumer Action report had a few words of wisdom to offer those who are likely targets of housing discrimination. They warned renters to look out for racist or discriminatory ads (such as those explicitly asking or prohibiting a certain ethnicity to apply. They also warned that discriminatory landlords might try to “price out” immigrant applicants by raising the rent to unusually high rates, or they might try to convince an immigrant tenant to move out in hopes of raising the property value as an “immigrant-free” property. The problems for immigrant home buyers are equally daunting, as sellers might try to avoid selling to an immigrant by any means necessary in order to prevent them from purchasing a home.

Housing discrimination fought against in New Jersey

There is one recent story out of Plainfield, New Jersey that should uplift the spirits of those fighting against housing discrimination. Juan Cartagena writes about his case against a tenant of an apartment complex in Plainfield who sued the landlord because he suspected the landlord to be knowingly renting units to illegal immigrants. The tenant argued that landlords should be responsible for investigating the authenticity of a tenants immigration documents in order to prove that they are in the country legally. The defense argued that doing so would give landlords the same power as an immigration officer.

According to Mr. Cartagena’s article, the case, Bolmer vs. Connelly, ended when Judge Julio Fuentes of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the landlord, stating that renting property to a tenant is not something that could be regarded in such extreme and criminal terms. To be sure, this was a compelling case that showcases the complexities of immigration and discrimination within the context of housing.

Conclusion

In closing, I just want to emphasize the real that housing discrimination is a severely underreported problem for immigrants in America. Consumer Action was able to affirm that statement by surveying over 500 community based organizations, and it’s something that needs to be addressed with real and earnest legislative efforts. The immigrant community is too underserved in this country; taking steps to prevent discriminatory practices among home rentals and purchases will go a long way to protect them from unnecessary harm.

Byline: This is a guest post by Kristie Lewis from construction management degree. You can reach her at: Kristie.Lewis81 @ gmail.Com.