[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT (H. RES. 1095)

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                       HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 16, 2008

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, H. Res. 1095. Signed into law 
in April 1968, the landmark Fair Housing Act includes broad 
prohibitions on discriminatory activity in the sale and rental of 
housing. Undoubtedly, this law has created significant change and 
progress in our Nation. Yet, the law has had a disappointing impact in 
deterring continued housing discrimination.
  Racial discrimination in the real estate market, rental market, and 
in financing continues at high rates. According to the National Law 
Center on Homelessness and Poverty, every year, more than 1.7 million 
fair housing violations are committed solely against African-Americans. 
An annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development indicates that of the 10,328 housing-related complaints 
handled by the agency in 2006, race and disability made up the largest 
percentiles. In an earlier HUD study, the agency found that among 
Blacks, Asians, and Pacific Islanders, one in every five customers 
encountered discrimination by rental agents. The harmful effects of 
these discriminatory housing practices have led to hyper segregated 
communities and schools across the country.
  In my congressional district in Cleveland, Ohio, fair housing 
organizations such as the Housing Research & Advocacy Center report 
that the number of housing discrimination complaints have doubled in 
the last 5 years. Of those reported in my district, 38 percent involved 
disability, 34 percent alleged race discrimination, and 13 percent were 
based on familial status. These unlawful practices perpetuate 
communities where schools go without adequate resources and residents 
have access to fewer health care facilities and other essential 
services. Unfortunately, ongoing housing discrimination has created 
communities across this Nation that do not reflect the neighborhoods 
envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King 40 years ago.
  Housing discrimination has also played an integral role in our 
Nation's subprime loan and foreclosure crisis. A report by Cleveland's 
Housing Research & Advocacy Center found that, ``not only do African-
Americans and Latinos have a harder time getting approved for a loan, 
but once they get a loan, they wind up with high-cost sub prime loans 
more often than whites, even when they have higher incomes.'' U.S. maps 
that highlight the high number of foreclosed homes in minority 
communities further demonstrate the critical importance of the 
protections provided by the Fair Housing Act. Our Nation's dignity and 
economic security depend on the enforcement of this important law.
  I appreciate this opportunity to commemorate the 40th anniversary of 
the Fair Housing Act. I proudly join my colleagues and housing 
advocates across the country in advocating for increased efforts to 
achieve the ``beloved community'' incaptured in Dr. King's dream.

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