Title: Promoting and supporting the goals and ideals of the Fair Housing Act and recognizing April 2020 as Fair Housing Month, which includes bringing attention to the discrimination faced by everyday Americans in the United States in housing and housing-related transactions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, and religion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for the goals and values of the 52nd anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and for efforts to strengthen housing protections, particularly during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 946 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 946

 Promoting and supporting the goals and ideals of the Fair Housing Act 
   and recognizing April 2020 as Fair Housing Month, which includes 
bringing attention to the discrimination faced by everyday Americans in 
 the United States in housing and housing-related transactions on the 
     basis of race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, 
  disability, and religion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 1, 2020

     Mr. Green of Texas (for himself, Ms. Waters, Ms. Judy Chu of 
California, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Ms. Wilson of Florida, 
 Ms. Bass, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Hastings, Mr. 
    Clay, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. 
  Pressley, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. 
 Cicilline, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Sires, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Adams, Mr. 
    Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Cohen, Ms. 
 Schakowsky, and Ms. Fudge) submitted the following resolution; which 
             was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Promoting and supporting the goals and ideals of the Fair Housing Act 
   and recognizing April 2020 as Fair Housing Month, which includes 
bringing attention to the discrimination faced by everyday Americans in 
 the United States in housing and housing-related transactions on the 
     basis of race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, 
  disability, and religion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whereas, April 11, 2020, marks the 52d anniversary of the congressional passage 
        of title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), 
        commonly known as the Fair Housing Act;
Whereas, September 13, 2020, marks the 32d anniversary of the congressional 
        passage of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-430; 
        102 Stat. 1619);
Whereas the Chicago Freedom Movement, led by the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther 
        King, Jr., expanded the fight for civil rights from the South to the 
        North, raised the national consciousness about housing discrimination, 
        and shaped the debate that led to the landmark fair housing legislation, 
        the Fair Housing Act;
Whereas the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, appointed by 
        President Lyndon B. Johnson and commonly known as the Kerner Commission, 
        found on February 29, 1968, that ``our nation is moving toward two 
        societies, one black and one white--separate and unequal'';
Whereas Congress passed the Fair Housing Act as part of the Civil Rights Act of 
        1968, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Act into law on April 
        11, 1968, one week after the assassination of the Reverend Doctor Martin 
        Luther King, Jr.;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant 
        on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights recognize adequate housing as a 
        human right;
Whereas the original Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and 
        housing-related transactions on the basis of race, color, national 
        origin, and religion;
Whereas the mission statement of HUD reflects this commitment to ``build 
        inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination'';
Whereas the United States Commission on Civil Rights reported that in 2019 the 
        Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the Department of 
        Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had the lowest staffing levels it 
        has had since 1981;
Whereas in section 808 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
        (Public Law 93-383), Congress amended the Fair Housing Act to include 
        protection on the basis of sex, including gender;
Whereas the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 passed by overwhelming margins 
        in Congress, included protection on the basis of familial status and 
        disability, created an important enforcement mechanism, and expanded the 
        definition of ``discriminatory housing practices'' to include 
        interference and intimidation, requiring HUD to issue regulations to 
        implement and interpret the Fair Housing Act and report annually to 
        Congress on the nature and extent of housing discrimination;
Whereas the intent of Congress in passing the Fair Housing Act was broad and 
        inclusive, to advance equal opportunity in housing and achieve racial 
        integration for the benefit of all people in the United States;
Whereas the intent of Congress in passing the Fair Housing Act was to prohibit 
        discrimination in all housing and housing-related transactions, 
        including policies or practices that appear facially neutral but have a 
        discriminatory effect on protected classes;
Whereas the Supreme Court of the United States of America has reaffirmed the use 
        of the disparate impact doctrine to challenge policies or practices that 
        have a discriminatory effect on protected classes;
Whereas fair housing testing has revealed that discrimination on the basis of 
        sexual orientation and gender identity exists and that fair housing 
        protections must be extended to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 
        and queer (LGBTQ+) community;
Whereas same-sex couples are 73 percent more likely to be denied a home mortgage 
        compared to heterosexual couples, and when same-sex couples are approved 
        for a mortgage, they pay an average of $86,000,000 more in combined 
        annual interest and fees;
Whereas fair housing testing has revealed that discrimination exists against 
        people who use publicly available housing assistance, including support 
        from the Housing Choice Voucher and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing 
        programs and other legal sources of income, and that fair housing 
        protections against source-of-income discrimination must be provided to 
        all people;
Whereas there continues to be widespread discrimination in the housing industry 
        against Black, Latinx, and Asian-American home buyers by real estate 
        agents;
Whereas owner-occupied homes located in majority-Black communities are 
        undervalued by a cumulative $156,000,000,000 when compared to owner-
        occupied homes in similarly situated communities that have very few or 
        no Black residents;
Whereas over 60 percent of people experiencing homelessness in America are Black 
        or Latinx;
Whereas an individual's housing conditions impact his or her health, educational 
        attainment level, employment opportunities, and personal wealth;
Whereas borrowers of color lack equal access to quality and affordable credit 
        compared to similarly situated White borrowers;
Whereas research shows that Black and Latinx borrowers pay $765,000,000 more in 
        combined mortgage interest each year compared to similarly situated 
        White borrowers due to discriminatory factors in mortgage lending by the 
        government-sponsored housing finance enterprises;
Whereas research shows that algorithmic bias and discrimination exist on online 
        housing platforms and in lending that uses artificial intelligence for 
        advertising and decision-making purposes;
Whereas the majority of Americans support neighborhood integration, and numerous 
        studies have shown the universal benefits of residential integration;
Whereas there are estimated to be over 4,000,000 violations of fair housing laws 
        each year against people of all protected classes, and fair housing 
        testing continues to uncover a high rate of discrimination in the 
        rental, sales, mortgage lending, and insurance markets;
Whereas 68,000,000 adults in the United States believe they have experienced 
        unequal treatment in their housing search due to their status as a 
        member of a protected class under the Fair Housing Act;
Whereas less than 1 percent of fair housing violations are reported each year;
Whereas private nonprofit fair housing organizations funded by the Fair Housing 
        Initiatives Program (FHIP) serve as the front line in the effort to 
        resolve housing discrimination and train local housing providers on how 
        to comply with the Fair Housing Act;
Whereas, in 2018, there were a total of 31,202 housing discrimination complaints 
        reported nationwide, of which over 75 percent, or 23,407 complaints, 
        were filed with local private nonprofit fair housing organizations;
Whereas the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) funds State and local civil 
        and human rights enforcement agencies to investigate and process housing 
        discrimination complaints, conduct special enforcement projects, and 
        take part in training and other projects designed to enhance HUD's 
        administration and enforcement of fair housing law;
Whereas while our Nation has made great strides in eliminating housing 
        discrimination, families with children, women, people with disabilities, 
        people of color, religious minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, 
        and low-income people receiving public assistance, among others, still 
        face discriminatory barriers to housing;
Whereas fair housing education and enforcement play a pivotal role in increasing 
        housing choice and home ownership opportunities for members of protected 
        classes and combating predatory lending;
Whereas amid a global health and economic crisis, housing discrimination against 
        health care workers and persons who have been infected by COVID-19, or 
        are perceived as having been infected, is contributing to increased 
        evictions and hate crimes;
Whereas reports of sexual harassment have increased by 300 percent in some 
        communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, with incidents 
        disproportionately being reported by women of color and transgender 
        women;
Whereas immigrant and limited English proficient (LEP) communities must have in-
        language access to online, telephone, print, and all other mediums of 
        housing information, notices, and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic 
        to prevent predatory and discriminatory housing and lending practices;
Whereas persons with disabilities must have equal access to online, telephone, 
        print, and all other mediums of housing information, notices, and 
        resources during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent predatory and 
        discriminatory housing and lending practices; and
Whereas the Fair Housing Act is an essential component of our Nation's civil 
        rights legislation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and values of the 52d anniversary of 
        the enactment of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) 
        and the 32d anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing 
        Amendments Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-430; 102 Stat. 1619);
            (2) supports efforts to strengthen and increase fair 
        housing enforcement, education, and protections, particularly 
        during the COVID-19 pandemic;
            (3) supports activities to recognize and celebrate the 
        important historical milestones represented by the 
        anniversaries of the enactments of the Fair Housing Act and the 
        Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988; and
            (4) encourages all people and levels of government to 
        rededicate themselves to the enforcement and the ideals of fair 
        housing laws.
                                 <all>