Portland Finds Housing Discrimination Through Recent Audit
A recent audit conducted by the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, on behalf of the Portland Housing Bureau, has discovered ongoing discrimination in the rental housing market of Multnomah County.
Testing focused on two areas. The first was race, specifically African-American compared to Caucasian. The second was national origin, specifically Latino compared to Caucasian.
The tests unveiled differences in treatment across many areas of the rental screening process, including cost of renting units, move-in specials, moving costs, deposit and lease terms, among others.
For the race tests, 15 showed different treatment while 10 did not, whereas of the national origin tests 17 showed different treatment while 2 did not. African-American and Latino testers were quoted higher rental and moving costs, and more stringent lease terms.
“While discrimination may not be intentional, it has the same impact: people of color and immigrants face bias in the rental market,” says Housing Commissioner Nick Fish, who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau. “PHB and FHCO are serious about ending discrimination toward people renting apartments, and these results are an opportunity for us to candidly address some of the problems that racial and ethnic groups face today.”
The Portland Housing Bureau and the Fair Housing Advisory Committee have already begun laying out strategies for improvement. Among the key priorities is ensuring that people have equitable access to safe, decent, affordable and accessible rental units. Their recommendations include:
- County-wide funding and support to continue and enhance fair housing services, including but not limited to enforcement and education of fair housing laws.
- Create a Fair Housing Advocacy Committee that meets on an at least quarterly basis to focus on fair housing issues and to be a strong advocate voice for Multnomah County.
- Partner with local organizations to ensure frequent and accurate trainings for property managers.
- Modify screening criteria that has inadvertently higher impact on protected classes.
- Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate information regarding rights and resources.
Deborah Imse, executive director of the Metro Multi-Family Housing Association (MMHA), stresses the importance of educating landlords and property managers about Fair Housing Law. ”Fair housing education has never been more important. Landlords have an obligation to offer the same opportunities and the same policies for the same housing unit. Consistent application and inquiry processes can help keep all landlords from violating fair housing laws, even unintentionally,” says Imse, who also serves on PHB’s Portland Housing Advisory Commission.
For Commissioner Fish, the committee’s recommendations are a solid step toward addressing fair housing issues. ”Equitable access to housing is at the forefront of Portland Housing Bureau’s mission, and I am personally committed to ensuring that everyone has access to a safe, decent and affordable place to live,” says Commissioner Fish.
“Government has a role in ensuring equitable access to housing opportunities among communities of color and low-income communities. We will work closely with landlords and others to make sure that leasing agents are well-trained to eliminate bias in their interactions.”
To conduct the audit, FHCO sent out white, African-American and Latino testers to apply for rental apartments throughout Multnomah County. Each tester was given a profile that details where they should seek housing, and information about income, whether or not they are married or have children, why they are seeking new housing. The profiles are nearly identical except for their race and national origin.
A total of 50 tests were conducted, 25 each for race and national origin. For any given test there were 3 possible results:
- the test shows different treatment
- the test does not show different treatment
- the test is inconclusive
“In order for us break free from our collective past, we must be willing to honestly look at ourselves and admit where we have failed to achieve an integrated society”, said Moloy Good, Executive Director of FHCO. “We applaud the City of Portland for taking this hard look at discrimination and committing to efforts to eliminate it. We are working closely with the City of Portland to raise awareness about fair housing laws, educate landlords and advocacy groups about their fair housing rights and responsibilities, and assist individuals in Portland who may have experienced illegal discrimination.”
