What follows is the introduction section of the full report. You can download the entire report at the end of the summary.
Despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act fifty-six years ago, housing discrimination and segregation
remain prevalent throughout Northeast Ohio and most of the country. Although residents have
benefitted from the protections of federal, state, and local fair housing laws, housing discrimination
continues, and communities in Northeast Ohio remain significantly segregated. Segregation continues to
contribute to disparities in the accumulation of wealth and lost opportunities for people of color. In
recent years, federal and state protections have eroded, however, steps taken by the Biden-Harris
Administration provide important guidance and action towards realizing the goals of the Fair Housing
Act.
Housing discrimination affects whether or not an individual will be able to rent a given apartment or
purchase a particular house. Housing discrimination also significantly affects people’s lives in many other
ways, including what type of city and neighborhood they can live in; the schools their children attend;
their access to transportation, jobs, and public services; and the amount of wealth they are able to build
from the equity in their homes. The impacts of redlining still persist, shaping life outcomes of Black,
Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
Segregation and discrimination in housing left Black and Latinx communities especially vulnerable to the
social, economic, and detrimental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating long-standing
inequities in income and access to affordable, stable housing. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, half of all
renters contributed at least 30 to 50 percent of their household income toward housing costs.
People of color make up the largest percentage of all housing cost-burdened renters, which puts them
at greater risk of eviction for missing rent payments. Other research illustrates that evictions are more
likely to occur in low-income communities of color and to disproportionately impact BIPOC renters.1
Despite receiving support from the federal government, economic hardship persisted. Renters of color
faced the greatest level of hardship. With much of the COVID-19-related aid ending and in the wake of
the eviction moratorium, there are major concerns about the future of housing and economic stability
for historically oppressed groups and low-to-moderate income households. These trends are structured
by and perpetuate the historical legacy and harmful impacts of redlining and other forms of housing
discrimination.
Persistent segregation, exacerbating housing costs, stagnant wages, and rising rates of housing
discrimination fuel the growth of and calcify longstanding inequities in housing and socio-economic
outcomes between BIPOC and their white counterparts, between affluent and low-income communities,
between renters and property owners. National policy efforts to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing and
increased calls for social justice across the nation and throughout Northeast Ohio provide a mandate to
take progressive steps to fulfill the dual mandate of the Fair Housing Act. This report outlines several
areas in which our region has significant work to do to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing. Other
research has highlighted the dire need for significant government intervention to expand housing
opportunities for lower-income residents, increase protections for renters, ensure all tenants have
access to safe housing infrastructure, and address the historic and continued impacts of redlining,
predatory lending, and discrimination on the lives of BIPOC communities throughout Northeast Ohio.
Download the complete report (PDF file)
View previous reports here.