The Complexities and Processes of Racial Housing Discrimination

Abstract

Housing represents an important arena within which racial inequalities continue to manifest-a fact highlighted in housing audit studies and the substantial literature on racial residential segregation. In this article, we extend the insights of prior work by: (1) denoting the wide range of "exclusionary" discriminatory practices that transpire at distinct stages of the rental/sales process and that are too varied to be captured by any singular audit design; (2) analyzing something that audits simply cannot, namely discrimination that occurs within already established housing arrangements (i.e., nonexclusionary discrimination). We draw from qualitative and quantitative data truly unique to the literature, reflecting approximately 750 instances of housing discriminationdiscrimination verified by civil rights investigators following state and federal guidelines. Quantitative patterns denote unique and disparate vulnerability, especially for African American women, and the centrality of powerful institutional (i.e., banks, realtors, insurance companies, etc.) and more proximate actors (i.e., landlords and neighbors) in reifying racial disadvantage. Landlords are clearly on the "front line" with regard to both exclusionary and nonexclusionary forms. Neighbors, realtors, banks, and mortgage companies play a role as well, more or less, depending on the form of discrimination being examined. Qualitative immersion into case materials offers important insight on relevant processes pertaining to victim vulnerability and status, and how discriminatory actions themselves occur. We conclude by discussing the implications of our arguments and findings for future analyses of race and housing inequality, and for understanding stratification and its microinteractional dimensions generally.

The Not-in-My-Property Syndrome: The Occurrence of Ethnic Discrimination in the Rental Housing Market in Belgium

“…Discrimination may occur at any time throughout the rental process, from first contact to the end of the rental period. Previous research has also indicated that discrimination is common during other steps in the process (Roscigno et al 2009). Because of feasibility issues, however, we were unable to monitor the whole process.…”

“…Moreover, discrimination makes the acculturation of ethnic minorities more difficult (Berry, Phinney, Sam, and Vedder 2006) and, when considering labour market discrimination, results in socioeconomic status (SES) disadvantages (Wilson, Tienda, and Wu 1995). Specifically, housing market discrimination makes the search for housing more costly and time consuming for ethnic minorities (Roscigno, Karafin, and Tester 2009).…”

Discrimination of tenants with a visual impairment on the housing market: Empirical evidence from correspondence tests

“…Previous research has also indicated that discrimination is common during other steps in the process. 42 However, this means that we have estimated a conservative discrimination rate: the percentage of candidates excluded during the very first stage of the rental process. Any discrimination in later stages will only increment the discrimination rate.…”

A multidisciplinary survey on discrimination analysis

“…A sufficiently large number of audits needed to produce statistically significant results is expensive. In addition, situation-testing cannot be applied at all in some contexts, for example in wage increases, or in the disparate application of contractual terms (e.g., in house lending, see Roscigno et al (2009)). Moreover audit studies are typically not available in a time series, which is a pre-requisite for analysing changes over time.…”