Webinar
NFHTA Forum | Mining the Data: Algorithmic Bias in Housing Related Transactions
January 19, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
Online
Description
Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
Algorithmic-based data systems are increasingly relied on to screen potential rental applicants, underwrite home mortgage loans, insure residential properties, and for other housing-related purposes. Data sets and algorithms that are unrepresentative, insufficient, and biased perpetuate discriminatory outcomes. These outcomes include denial of housing opportunity, unfair terms and pricing, and continued housing segregation. Understanding how technological bias manifests and affects persons in protected classes is necessary for enforcing fair housing laws effectively to counteract emerging tools that can perpetuate discrimination.
The National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) hosted a public forum that examined bias in data and technology and solutions for eliminating injustice in algorithmic-based systems. Over 575 fair housing partners joined us in this critical conversation.
Overview
- Welcome from moderator, Cashauna Hill, Executive Director at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center
- Remarks by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
- Remarks by Jacy Gaige, Director, Compliance Disability Right Division, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
- Introduction of panelists:
- Kareem Saleh, Founder and CEO, FairPlay
- Michael Akinwumi, Chief Tech Equity Officer, National Fair Housing Alliance
- Sacha Markano-Stark, Attorney, Relman Colfax PLLC
- Presentation and discussion by panelists on:
- The nuts and bolts of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)
- Data and tech terminology
- Use of data and technology in housing and related markets
- Third-party technology companies and services used in housing-related transactions
- Solutions to mitigate bias in technology
- Fair housing laws applicable to data/tech bias; other laws to consider
- Key cases challenging tech bias in housing or relevant fields
- Question and answer session moderated by Ms. Hill
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.
Learning Objectives
- Comprehend the basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)
- Increase understanding of how data is used in the rental, sales, and lending housing sectors
- Know more about third party technology companies and services used by the housing industry (rental, sales, lending)
- Ascertain solutions for eliminating bias in data and technology
- Describe the applicable sections of the Fair Housing Act and Regulations to other applicable laws
- Recognize features of key cases challenging tech bias in housing or that relate to housing transactions
Audience
This forum was targeted to Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) organizations, Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agencies, HUD staff, legal services providers, housing providers, and other interested fair housing partners.
Materials
The Tech Equity Initiative is a multi-faceted effort designed to eliminate bias in algorithmic-based systems used in housing and financial services, increase transparency and explainability for AI tools, outline ethical standards for responsible tech, advance effective policies for regulating AI tools, and increase diversity and inclusion in the tech field.
Black Wealth Matters. AI Can Help Create It. Here's How.
Date Published: June 24, 2020
This Forbes article by Mr. Saleh examines the ability of lenders to update their methods to determine who gets access to credit and who does not. Mr. Saleh examines the impact of skewed data and algorithms on building credit.
Discrimination through Optimization: How Facebook's Ad Delivery Can Lead to Biased Outcomes
Date Published: November 2019
This research report found that previously unknown mechanisms can lead to potentially discriminatory ad delivery, even when advertisers set their targeting parameters to be highly inclusive.
National Fair Housing Alliance v. Facebook, Inc. (S.D. N.Y.)
Date Published: March 27, 2018
This is the complaint filed by NFHA, Fair Housing Justice Center, Inc., Housing Opportunity Project for Excellence (HOPE), and the Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio. The complaint alleges that Facebook's classification of its users and its ad-targeting tools permitted landlords, developers, and housing service providers to limit the audience for their ads based on sex, religion, familial status, and national origin in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Settlement of National Fair Housing Alliance v. Facebook, Inc. (S.D. N.Y.)
Date Published: March 19, 2019
The settlement of this complaint required changes to Facebook's paid advertising platform and resolved legal claims that alleged that Facebook's platform unlawfully enabled advertisers to target housing, employment, and credit ads to Facebook users based on race, color, gender, age, national origin, family status, and disability.
Relman Colfax Fair Lending Monitorship of Upstart Network's Lending Model
In December 2020, Upstart Network, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Student Borrower Protection Center entered into an agreement to appoint Relman Colfax to serve as an independent fair lending Monitor to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the fair lending implications of Upstart's lending platform, and to issue a series of periodic reports on its findings and recommendations. Those reports can be found in the link above.
An AI Fair Lending Policy Agenda for the Federal Financial Regulators
Date Published: December 2, 2021
This policy brief published by Brookings discusses artificial intelligence's impact on fair lending and outlines regulatory proposals to mitigate the risk of implementing artificial intelligence in fair lending.
FHEO Remarks
Jacy Gaige
Director, Compliance Disability Rights Division
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
Live Roundtable
About the Forums
Forums are online conversations designed to allow multi-directional interactions between HUD and its FHIP and FHAP partners around emerging fair housing issues regarding processing complaints, conducting investigations, and managing agencies. Topics will evolve based on partner needs and interests.
Disclaimer: The National Fair Housing Forum webinar series provides training by and to HUD partners, including entities and persons participating in HUD's FHAP Program and FHIP Program. The series offers multidirectional idea sharing in real-time. The views offered by speakers and participants do not necessarily reflect HUD's views. Similarly, unless otherwise noted, documents provided as part of the webinar were created and maintained by other public and private organizations and may not reflect HUD's official position. HUD-produced guidance documents, except when based on statutory or regulatory authority or law, do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. Such guidance documents are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or HUD policies. The information is not intended to provide legal advice to any individual or entity. Please refer to relevant laws and regulations and/or your own legal advisor before taking any action based on information appearing on this site or any site to which it may be linked. Some materials have been translated into languages other than English; slight variations may have resulted from the translation.
Tags: Fair Housing NFHTA