Fair housing violations

What does this indicator measure?
This indicator reports the number of housing discrimination complaints reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Housing discrimination complaints are also known as fair housing complaints because the complainant is claiming that a seller, rental agent, or mortgage lender has violated the Fair Housing Act by unfairly discriminating against the complainant in the course of the complainant’s attempt to procure housing. The complainant may allege that the seller, rental agent, or mortgage lender refused to sell, rent, or finance a home, or that they were offered unfavorable terms or conditions in the rental, sale, or financing contract as a result of unfair discrimination. Discrimination complaints may be based on race, sex, family status, religion, disability, national origin, or color. Family status may include factors such as whether a couple has children or is expecting; however, certain housing developments designated as housing for seniors may be exempt from the family status requirement. The data are presented by year, county, basis for discrimination, and complaint resolution.

Why is this indicator important?
Our country has an unfortunate history of discrimination in housing. What began as Jim Crow laws and unwritten rules about where different types of people could live progressed to the practice of redlining by banks and the evolution of ethnic ghettos. The Fair Housing Act was first enacted by Congress as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Originally, it prohibited discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, and religion. The act was amended in 1988 to add disability, sex, and family status to the prohibited bases for discrimination. For more information, click here.

This indicator is important because it helps assess to what degree we have achieved a housing market free from discrimination. Discrimination in the housing market is particularly damaging to society because it affects not only individuals trying to acquire a home, but patterns of development and investment in the larger economy.

How are we doing?
Dallas County accounted for 88.3% of all fair housing complaints in the Dallas Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) counties during 2004, and 89.2% of all fair housing complaints in the area during the years 1999 through 2004.

In 2004, 173 fair housing complaints were filed with HUD in Dallas County, a significant increase above the previous year.
In 2003, 136 complaints were filed in Dallas County, and the average for the time period of 1999 through 2003 was 137.4.
Fair housing complaints in Dallas County reached their last high in 2001, with 172 complaints filed.

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Among other counties included in Dallas Indicators, there are very few fair housing complaints.

Collin County reported 10 fair housing complaints in 2004 and 9 complaints in 2003. Between 1999 and 2002, 5 or 6 complaints were reported each year.
Denton County reported 8 fair housing complaints in both 2004 and 2003 and 7 complaints in 1999. There were no fair housing complaints in the intervening years.
Ellis County has had 1 or 2 fair housing complaints each year since 1999, with the exception of 2000, when no complaints were filed.
Henderson County had 2 complaints filed in both 2004 and 2003, and no complaints were filed between 1999 and 2002.
Hunt County had no complaints filed in 2004. In 2003, 5 complaints were filed, and 2 complaints were filed in 2000.
In Kaufman County, 2 complaints were filed in 2004. Between 1999 and 2003, the number of complaints filed ranged between 0 and 8.
In Rockwall County, no complaints were filed in 2004. In 2003, 4 complaints were filed, and 1 complaint was filed in 2002.

Race was by far the most prevalent basis for discrimination. Data from the time period of 1999 through 2004 show the following:

Race alone or in combination with another basis accounted for 51.3% of fair housing complaints in Dallas County.
Race alone or in combination with another basis accounted for 47.1% of fair housing complaints in surrounding Dallas Indicators counties.
Disability accounted for 14.9% of fair housing complaints in Dallas County and 24.0% of complaints in surrounding Dallas Indicators counties.
National origin accounted for 14.4% of fair housing complaints in Dallas County and 4.8% of complaints in surrounding Dallas Indicators counties.
Family status accounted for 6.5% of fair housing complaints in Dallas County and 11.5% of complaints in surrounding Dallas Indicators counties.
In 6.9% of fair housing complaints in Dallas County and 7.7% of complaints in surrounding Dallas Indicators counties, the complainant reported a combination of bases (excluding race).

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The fact that a fair housing complaint was filed does not mean that discrimination has occurred. The complaint merely begins an investigation. During the period of 1999 through 2004:

More than half (56.9%) of all fair housing complaints in counties included in Dallas Indicators were ultimately dismissed under a “no cause determination.” In other words, discrimination was found to be sufficiently unlikely, such that there was no cause for further investigation.
A further 35.1% of complaints were resolved successfully without the need for court proceedings. The complaint was withdrawn by the complainant after resolution in 20.4% of cases, and the case was closed because conciliation or settlement was successful in 14.7% of cases.
In 1.3% of cases, the complaint was withdrawn by the complainant without resolution.
Among the remaining cases, 3.3% of cases were closed because the complainant failed to cooperate, and 1.8% were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
In the past 6 years, one case in Collin County and two cases in Dallas County went to court.