What Does Housing Discrimination Based on Race Look Like in NH?

On June 18, 2021, the United States recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the first time. Here in New Hampshire in 2022, ceremonies were held across the state to recognize the day and celebrate the expansive contributions of Black people to the state throughout its history.

The day is also a chance to reflect on the barrier Black people in America face in obtaining equal access to a number of rights, including voting, equal wages, and fair housing. The NHLA Fair Housing Project works to ensure all people have equitable access to housing, including those protected classes under the law. These classes include race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, and gender identity.

Housing discrimination based on race may be explicit, but also can be much less obvious. It can occur behind closed doors and be a factor in decisions made by landlords or lenders that victims may not realize has occurred. Here, we will discuss the different ways housing providers have discriminated based on race and what this form of discrimination might look like.

A Long History of Race Discrimination

Prohibiting Black people from renting or buying homes in certain areas has had long-lasting effects on the ability of African Americans to gain access to good schools and build generational wealth. Today, policy makers are working to dismantle these well-documented disparities; however, discrimination based on race still persists, as do the lasting effects from past generations.

A 2020 study by Habitat for Humanity on racial disparities in housing noted that:

“These racially discriminatory housing policies have combined to profoundly disadvantage Black households, with lasting, intergenerational impact. Race-based exclusions from federal mortgage programs, bank loans, and communities with educational and equity building opportunities meant that Black parents had less wealth to pass on to their children to help with a down payment.

Black children grew up with vastly unequal educational opportunities in unequal schools and neighborhoods. Black parents were less able to finance their children’s college tuition with home equity, contributing to higher student debt for Black college graduates, if not lower rates of completion. These intergenerational impacts go a long way toward explaining the racial disparities we see today in wealth, income and educational outcomes for Black Americans.”

It offered a number of policy remedies, including increasing down payment assistance to Black homebuyers, increasing access to affordable credit to Black homebuyers, and addressing racially-motivated zoning districting.

Examples of Race Discrimination

Race discrimination in housing may not be a face-to-face interaction. Here are some examples of less obvious discrimination.

  • A Black person speaks to a landlord about an open apartment and is invited to tour the building. Once he arrives, the landlord informs the potential tenant the apartment has been filled, when in reality it is still available.

  • A qualified Black applicant is turned down for an apartment because they have listed a traditionally African American name on the application.

  • A realtor steers a Black couple away from viewing homes that fit their criteria but that are located in all-white neighborhoods.

  • A Black tenant learns she is paying a higher rent than her white neighbors for a similar apartment.

  • A maintenance manager prioritizes repair requests made by white tenants over those of the Black tenants.

The Difference Between Race and Color

The terms “race” and “color” are both used to identify protected classes under Fair Housing laws, but what’s the difference? Where race refers to a person’s own identified race or their perceived race, color refers to discrimination solely based on the lightness or darkness of their skin.

There may be some instances where a person seeking housing is unclear if the discrimination is based on race, but it is clear the discrimination is due to the person having dark skin. There may also be instances where a landlord rents only to African Americans with a light skin tone, but not those who have a darker skin tone. At times, the discrimination is based on both race and color.

Need Help Filing a Complaint?

If you suspect you’ve been discriminated against due to your race, color, or another reason protected under the law, NHLA’s Fair Housing Project can answer your questions and assist with filing a claim. Remember, people may face discrimination based on race and color regardless of the race or color of the landlord. To learn more, go to fairhousing-nh.org or call 1-800-921-1115.