The National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity released a report on December 9th with their latest findings concerning lending and other practices. Co-chair on the commission, Henry Cisneros, maintains that “housing discrimination helped lead us to this foreclosure crisis.”
The “Future of Fair Housing” report found that there are over 4 million fair housing violations every year. However, the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) only responds to 2,500 complaints annually. As HUD is not intended to primarily be an enforcement agency and given its close relationship with lenders, the commission recommended creating an independent fair housing agency.
The commission also encourages HUD to create an Office of Fair Housing within the organization, separating it from an Office of Equal Opportunity. Right now, there’s only one office that includes both the fair housing enforcement and the program compliance aspects. Another recommendation is to revive the President’s Fair Housing Council to bring more oversight and accountability to the process.
More of the commission’s suggestions can be found in this pdf report. In general, the commission adds its voice to a growing chorus for changes across all aspects and levels of housing and financing. The foreclosure crisis is representative of a great deal of neglect on multiple levels, and it appears that adjustments are finally being made. Hopefully, they are coming soon enough so that people can stay in their homes, although many people have been and will be returning to the rental markets due to foreclosure.
Tags: fair housing, fair housing and equality opportunity, foreclosure, Future of Fair Housing report, housing discrimination, HUD, National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, office of fair housing and equal opportunity, predatory lending