Report: Blacks Face Big Easy Housing Bias

Black Renters Faced "Less Favorable Treatment" In More Than Half Of Tests

(AP)  Blacks already feeling the pinch from a housing shortage in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina are facing racial discrimination in their search for rental property, a survey by housing advocates found.

The survey sent black and white "testers" — paired by matching incomes, careers, family types and rental histories — to inquire about openings at 40 rental properties in metropolitan New Orleans.

The findings, released Tuesday by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, found blacks encountered "less favorable treatment" than their white counterparts in 57.5 percent of those tests.

In one example, an agent told the black tester who responded to an apartment ad on Jan. 22 that only one unit was available, and not until February. The same agent told the white tester later that day that two units would available Feb. 1 and mentioned two other units.

A woman reached at a number for the New Orleans Landlords Association declined to comment publicly Tuesday evening. No one could be immediately reached at the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans and the New Orleans Real Estate Investor's Association.

James Perry, the center's executive director, said the group intends to sue several of the landlords.

"At a time when people need housing desperately, we really can't stand to have discrimination occurring," Perry said.

[nowhiteguilt]

HERE'S A LITTLE LAND LORDING ADVICE, KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! ALWAYS GIVE THE SAME LINE OF SH*T TO EVERY POTENTIAL TENANT, KEEP ALL YOUR BIAS THOUGHTS IN ONES MIND, WEED THE SOBS OUT ONCE YOU RUN THE $30.00 CREDIT REPORT ON THEIR A$$ES, WE ALL KNOW DAM WELL CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY PROFOUNDLY HAVE SH*TTY CREDIT IF ANY. DON'T EVER VERBALIZE YOUR BIASNESS, THESE CREATURES LIVE AND BREATH RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LITIGATION. EVERYONE IS BIASED TOWARDS ONE THING OR ANOTHER, AND IF ONE STATES THEIR NOT, THAT IS ONE LYING MOTHER F$$KER!

[phoenix1218]

"What I say is, its your fault. Maybe you should have better hiring ethics/practices.
Posted by sevin32"

It's not their fault, if there isn't a certain amount of minorities in his workplace, he gets in trouble. It should be about who has the better experience & education, black or white, it shouldn't matter.

"There are just as many lazy whites as blacks, the only difference is white folks like to rationalize their laziness, by shifting the blame onto others, while blacks, I guess they're both alike, so there's no difference.
Posted by kailumego1"

You're right, there are probably just as many lazy whites as blacks & though some try to rationalize it by blaming others, blacks try to rationalize it by saying that whites owe them because of what their ancestors did to the black ancestors. Do I think what my ancestors did was right, yes. MINE helped yours escape through the Underground Railroad. Do I think Slavery was right, NO. But I didn't personally enslave your ancestors or you & I owe you nothing because white people over 100 years ago had your ancestors as slaves. Am I sorry it happened to your ancestors, YES. Do I wish it never happened, YES. Even though I have nothing to feel sorry about I still wish I could go back & make it so it never happened. No one can do that. It's time to not forget but to get over it. You cannot let the actions of many almost 200 years ago affect how you act now because if you do it can ruin your emotional well being.

[valendug]

Did you send these same two into a poor black "hood" too?

[agnim]

"Report: Blacks Face Big Easy Housing Bias"

This is one racist 'bias' that Black people should accept and ENJOY! LOL

Humans were not meant to live under water!
The extremely IN-auspicious New Orleans is a hell hole and a DEATH TRAP surrounded by water!

Anyone with an ounce of brains would heed Katrina's warning and "Going to New Orleans" EXIT! LOL

Let the bigots keep New Orleans; they deserve it, a watery grave. LOL

[sevin32]

It shouldnt be about what they proved. Its just clearly about right and wrong. Especially in LA, no one should have to deal with that! As far as the comment about the "trend with black people" being late, complaining at work or walking off the job...Im sure you have not hired soooooo many blacks that you can just throw out a "trend" like that. What I say is, its your fault. Maybe you should have better hiring ethics/practices. The moral of this article is cut and dry...fair is fair and people should be treated equally regardless of race. Lets just stick to the facts!

[kailumego1]

I've got to stop and laugh, ignorant blacks, please what could be more ignorant than the insidious statements posted on this site.

What you've managed to prove is just how narrow-minded and one-sided a lot of white folks are, considering many that have posted are still living in the "Dark Ages".

There are just as many lazy whites as blacks, the only difference is white folks like to rationalize their laziness, by shifting the blame onto others, while blacks, I guess they're both alike, so there's no difference.

[getcentered]

Wow, based on this story, and the various comments here, I think it's safe to say that racisim is ALIVE AND WELL in the United States.

We have a lot of growing up to do still.

[gtgurl]

I read this article and decided to take a look at what people have to say about it. Low and behold--I find a group of small-minded, cave-dwelling morons lacking real knowledge spouting off about "facts" and about "what they know" about an entire group of people and they base this knowledge on their limited experience with the entire group of people and the garbage fed to them on a daily basis in the media and they feed on it and take it in and viola! they have decided that they know everything there is to know and can proceed to condemn entire groups of people and make judgements and idiotic statements based on what? (Oh wait, I'm giving you too much credit, I'm sure you don't take the time to think about what you say before you say it).

[vancouverboo]

Mixing the races has been a miserable mistake from Day 1. Now we're all stuck with each other and only The Rich People (in their gated communities) can afford to get away from this awful mess.

[phoenix1218]

No one should have to atone for the sins of their ancestors no matter what race they are or what race their ancestor commited sins against. You would not say that if Jack the Ripper had children that his children, grandchildren or great grandchildren should have to atone for his sins, would you...NO. Do not tell me I have to atone for the sins of my ancestors. You said it to the WRONG person. My ancestors helped YOU ancestors run away from their owners...that is if you are referring to slavery.

Well, I'm so sorry but that just won't do! You need to leave immediately and head for the next Al Sharpton gathering and kneel before and kiss his gluteus maximus! Obviously, you have not atoned for the sins of your ancestors. For shame!
Posted by Infidel_US in regards to my post...I believe that ALL races should be treated equally Posted by Phoenix1218 at 12:34 PM : Apr 25, 2007

[hhusted]

reena6,

Based on my experience of being around blacks, who were educated, they are more ignorant then the less educated ones. This is because they think becuase they are more educated, they are now better than the less fortunate. I disagree with this mentality. Always remember where you came from and show humility. You'll get better results.

[infidel_us]

I believe that ALL races should be treated equally Posted by Phoenix1218 at 12:34 PM : Apr 25, 2007

Well, I'm so sorry but that just won't do! You need to leave immediately and head for the next Al Sharpton gathering and kneel before and kiss his gluteus maximus!

Obviously, you have not atoned for the sins of your ancestors. For shame!

[hhusted]

Phoenix1218,

I believe what you said is true and agree with you.

Thanks for commenting.

[phoenix1218]

response to HAmiltongrad, you CANNOT "size up" applicants, that is also against the law. renting an apartment is not a job interview.
Posted by boglow

I think what he meant by "size up" is they have a right to do a background check, be it a financial one and or criminal one. The landlords have a right to know if someone is late on rent, if they have a lot of things on their credit report, if they have criminal charges they did time for...landlords have a right to know these things especially if it is a multi family unit because they have an obligation to their other renters. All this is not illegal. What is illegal though is a landlord telling someone a lie, such as we only have one unit available then telling someone else of a different race they have two.

[hhusted]

I look at it this way. There are two sides to every coin. On the one side, I do not agree with racial discrimination. On the other side of the coin, there has been a long histroy of when many blacks move in to a neighborhood, the area becomes dirty and disgusting, and the property values drop considerably. I know this for a fact because where I use to live and now live, this is what I see all the time.

Perhaps if black people took more pride in themselves and their property and surroundings, their neighborhoods would look better and the property values wouldn't go down. Then they wouldn't be a statitics and get treated more fairly. You get treated by the way you act and live. That's just the way it is.

This could be the reason that landlord refused to give the black people the apartment. They may have read the statistics or witnessed this themselves.

I'm not saying the whole discrimination thing is right, but based on the law of karma, what you put out you get back. Many black people put out a poverty conscienceness, whereby they receive back the same condition.

[phoenix1218]

reena6,
I do not see one racist thing I said. I stated fact. More blacks are in jail than whites. More blacks are evicted because they let extra people move in after the sign a rental agreement & this issue is not just in New Orleans. I will not apologize for stating a fact & I dispute your comment about being a racist because I'm not. I commend you on getting an education & any other person of color, black, asian, or white. I am not ignorant & I do not "hold every person of color or minority back in life" as you state I do. I am not the one keeping someone from doing well in school so they can go to college to get an education & get a good job. I am not the one who puts the gun or knife, or whatever else they use in the commision of a crime, into their hands. I do not do this. They do this to themselves. And when they wind up in jail they have no one to blame but themselves. I am not the one forcing them to let people live with them to the point where they get evicted. And when they do get evicted they have no one to blame but themselves.
ALL that being said...I believe that ALL races should be treated equally & if these testers really had the SAME salary, rental history, family histories & careers then they SHOULD have been treated equally. If they had all those same things & people of color were discriminated against then something should be done towards the landlords, like a lawsuit.

[infidel_us]

I think Hollyweird should open up their mansions for these folks. They have more rooms than a hotel chain, and it would help ease their feelings of affluent guilt.

[phoenix1218]

I agree with jetlizhan in that they should all be treated the same be it white or blac, or asian or hispanic.

[jetlizhan]

democrat71 -

we (the posters) comment on what we read in black and white - not what we THINK the article means. an opionion is just that - an opinion. end of simple story.

[democrat71]

You people are all too quick to have incredibly strong opinions without any real facts, which I consider to be a frightening trend in our society. I admit I haven't read the original report, but some questions come to mind. How many groups of testers? I ask b/c I wonder if this is even a statistically significant finding. Second, what constitutes "less favorable response"? From the article it appears as though the worst scenario they could come up with was one in which the black tester WAS OFFERED an apartment in the EXACT SAME move-in date as the white tester. If that's as bad as it got, you're all a little test-y if you ask me...lol