[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 67 (Thursday, May 19, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H3589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONDEMNING THE PRESENCE OF RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS IN HOUSING 
                               DOCUMENTS

  (Mr. CLEAVER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
cosponsor H.R. 259. I recently introduced this resolution to condemn 
the presence of racially restrictive covenants in housing documents.
  Mr. Speaker, during the early 20th century, racially restrictive 
covenants were used in housing documents such as plats, deeds, and 
homeowner association bylaws to prevent racial, ethnic, and religious 
minorities from renting or buying property. While they are now illegal 
and technically unenforceable, most were never removed from housing 
documents. In my district alone, one survey identified more than 1,200 
documents that still contain discriminatory language.

                              {time}  1100

  In many jurisdictions, the process of removing racially restrictive 
covenants is administratively burdensome, time consuming and costly. 
This resolution urges States to adopt legislation similar to California 
and commends the Missouri State Senate for passing a bill that 
streamlines the process for removing these relics of the Jim Crow era.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 259 and join me 
in condemning racially restrictive covenants.

                          ____________________