Fair Housing Act

The National Law Center on Homelesness and Poverty. “Homelessness stems from a lack of affordable housing. Increasing rents, destruction of traditional low-income housing, and cuts in federal housing programs threaten affordable housing with extinction.”

Imagine being denied a place to live, just because of the color of your skin. Many people faced this discrimination prior to the act of 1968. The Fair Housing Act of 1968, and the influencers behind it allowed for an equal opportunity of housing to all people, no matter their color, race, religion, national origin, disabilities, or familial status.

Families on a low income can be placed in local authority housing. If the family grows then this can cause overcrowding within the home. It can result in child having no privacy or space which can affect the child homework. If the home is within a dangerous area then this may result in the children becoming isolated, as their parents may be fearful of letting them out to play or they may themselves become involved in anti-social behaviour and criminal activities.

For the past fifty years the shift from meeting the housing needs of the poor through government projects-based housing to a more individual approach, has been slowly implemented. Housing vouchers now enable underprivileged populations to move from high-poverty, segregated neighborhoods to more un-segregated, low-poverty neighborhoods. Low-poverty neighborhoods have less crime, better opportunities for employment, and more diverse schooling options. Some housing advocates however, contend that housing assistance is unnecessary and is an income subsidy that should be combined with other social safety nets (Clark, W. 2008).

The Fair Housing Act of 1968, also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968; prohibits the selling, renting, and financing of properties based on race, color, sex, or nationality. In 1988, Congress passed the Fair Housing Amendments Act, which expanded the law to prohibit discrimination based on disabilities and family status. Since that act was established, what has the been the correlation between housing and poverty for African-Americans in Cleveland, Ohio?

California’s housing situation is severe compared to the rest of the United States. California is included in the top three states with the most “housing cost burdened individuals” (Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2015). In a list of 20 cities where rents were highest compared to income, 10 of the 20 cities were in California with Los Angeles, CA topping the list (Dewan, 2014). Opponents might say that households in poverty could never afford housing due to their impoverished state but poverty measures of California show that the abnormally high cost of housing in California makes matters more severe and causes the amount of households that are severely cost afflicted to increase. Furthermore, when poverty measures take into account California’s uniquely expensive and insufficient housing supply, the results show that housing costs contribute significantly to poverty. For example, when housing costs were included in the California Poverty Measure as well as federal Supplemental Poverty Measure, the poverty rates rose substantially (Wimer, Mattingly, & Levin, 2013) (Short, 2015). And when high housing costs were artificially substituted with low housing costs, poverty rates significantly dropped (Bohn, Danielson, & Levin, 2013). And it’s not just the poor who are affected! Even those who are moderate income earners are becoming financially burdened by high housing costs. Those who are moderately well off compared to low income earners are financially burdened by rent costs in expensive cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA (Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University,

In “The Complexities and Processes of Racial Housing discrimination” by Vincent J. Roscigno, Diana L. Karafin, and Griff tester, the main concept of racial disparity and inequality among neighborhoods is discussed, and how those inequalities became to be. They first highlight the wide range of potentially exclusionary practices, through qualitative and quantitative data comprised of over 750 verified housing discrimination cases (Roscigno, p. 162). Citing the U.S. Census, it is found that Blacks, compared to Hispanics and Asians, continue to experience high levels of residential segregation. This is done through discriminatory practices, whether they be by exclusionary or non-exclusionary methods. Even after the passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1988, discrimination against Blacks and Hispanics decreased somewhat, though African Americans still appeared to take part in racial steering, and Hispanics continued to have limitations in regards to opportunities and access to rental units (Roscigno, p. 163).

The United States is the richest nation, yet millions of Americans live below the poverty line and millions more struggle every month. The children in society today living in poverty is increasing daily. The majority of these children are from single-parent homes where sometimes parents are not working or have become disabled and therefore cannot work. Children who are raised in foster care and leave as adults do not have strong relationship ties most of the time and are at an increased risk for experiencing poverty, early parenthood and homelessness (American School Board Journal, 2007). The reason for most of the poverty in the United States is due to low family incomes.

In 1934, Congress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to assist citizens with their housing needs. According to “Department of Housing and Urban Development” on Allgov.com, “In July 1947, the Housing and Home Finance Agency was established to help people buy homes following World War II. Two years later, the Housing Act of 1949 was enacted to help eradicate slums and promote redevelopment in urban areas.” The Department of Housing and Urban Development Act began with the Housing Act of 1949. According to The Department of Housing and Urban Development written by John B. Willmann, “The Act of 1949 added new prestige to the Housing and Home Finance Agency by authorizing broader public housing activity.” The Housing Act of 1949 also promoted urban redevelopment and research on housing and development problems.

year (2014). Most of these youth struggle finding permanent housing that can afford, and some

California employers must comply with AB 1825, a state law mandating sexual harassment prevention training for supervisors and managers. Through questions and answers, this article highlights this 2006 laws requirements and provides guidance on meeting them.

In Fiscal Year 2016, the area median income for Chicago was $76,900. Because Housing Choice Vouchers are intended to assist low income families, eligibility for vouchers is limited to households whose income does not exceed 80% of area median income, which was approximately $61,520 in 2016. More importantly, distribution requirements specify that at least 75% of Section 8 vouchers must go to households designated as “very low income,” meaning that their income does not exceed 30% of the area median income. In 2016 in Chicago, the figure constituting 30% of area median income was approximately $18,456. Complainant’s annual income, excluding the Section 8 voucher, was $8,796, thus placing her within the very low income threshold for housing seekers. Therefore, it appears that Respondent’s minimum income policy excluded over 75% of Section 8 voucher holders. As such, this facially-neutral policy has a disparate impact on persons with a Housing Choice Voucher as a source of

After World War II returning veterans faced a shortage of affordable housing at home. The Housing Act of 1949 was passed in order to remedy the situation. Unfortunately, the act led to unforeseen complications that would exacerbate the urban crisis farther. Affordable high-rise housing built as a result of the act would force people who could afford it to move out into the growing suburbs and the poor devour the structures. As a result of displacement and previous Supreme Court decisions blockbusters would move African Americans into previous white neighborhoods which caused the movement of segregated districts within the cities to change.

Children who are exposed to these housing insecure households are susceptible to low birth weights, asthma, depression, behavioral issues, and educational delays (BARHII, 2016). In addition, physical health can include being exposed to sexual harassment. Tester (2008) reports that some landlords aware of a tenant’s economic status and need for housing used their positional authority to sexually coerce tenants. Unfortunately, due to housing availability, Tester’s (2008) work described female renters’ precarious situation as women failed to report the sexual harassment due to fear of retaliation and housing needs.

Imagine a young child growing up, learning, and trying to further his or her life to obtain success in the future. For an “everyday” child this can be challenging, however “everyday” obstacles can be overcome. For thousands of children in the United States, this dream is almost impossible to achieve. These children are a part of the homeless population that is spread throughout the United States. Many times these individuals try to hide this major secret from the rest of the world, but homelessness is very prevalent among these youths today. Various problems occur in these peoples’ lives that others could not even begin to understand. Homelessness affects children in every stage of life physically, mentally, and emotionally.