NFHTA Forum | Housing Segregation Is Not an Accident: A Black History Month Event

The United States is racially and economically divided. Today's inequalities were centuries in the making - resulting from discriminatory government housing policies, restrictive covenants, housing industry practices, individual acts of housing discrimination, and local zoning and land use barriers. Current policies and practices may reinforce and perpetuate segregation and inequity, leading to significant racial gaps in homeownership and wealth. To commemorate Black History Month, this forum panel reviewed the historical actions that created segregated neighborhoods, current manifestations of housing-related discrimination, and some of the solutions that can be achieved through effective enforcement of fair housing laws and affirmatively furthering fair housing. More than 1,243 people joined the National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) for this public forum celebrating Black History Month. It provided opportunities for reflection on the importance of fair housing work and offered various calls to action for fair housing professionals to commit to leadership roles in establishing and implementing an equity agenda for all people.

Overview

1. Welcome from moderator, Cashauna Hill, Executive Director at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center
2. Opening remarks by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
3. Introduction of panelists:
• Richard Rothstein, Distinguished Fellow with Economic Policy Institute, and author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
• Lisa Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Fair Housing Alliance
• Ken Scott Managing Director-Consumer Fairness, Citi
4. Presentation and discussion by panelists on:
• History of discrimination in housing and related markets that created segregation
• Government policies and programs that contributed to segregation
• Private market actions that contributed to segregation
• Current policies and practices that perpetuate discrimination
• Solutions to reverse the legacy and costs of housing discrimination and segregation
• The role of government in affirmatively furthering fair housing
5. Question and answer session moderated by Ms. Hill
6. Closing remarks by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD

A video of the forum has been posted on this page, along with a transcript of the conversation and a robust resources list for your continued reference.