News, Uncategorized

Housing Discrimination Found in Westchester & Hudson Valley

The Journal News of Westchester County recently ran a story regarding a report on housing discrimination in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland Counties. The results are awful. A study conducted in 2010 found that in 17.5% of the instances of study conducted by Westchester Residential Opportunities that discrimination occurred. In 2005 a HUD-funded study found discrimination in a whopping 46.5% of the cases. While the report framed the numbers as an improvement for Westchester, I view the numbers as relative in the context of awful. In nearby Rockland County, the percentage of discrimination was found to be 35%. Three firms in Rockland and one in Westchester have had complaints filed against them as a result.

I would like to think that the public can expect licensees to have a high standard in conduct and that the expectancy of discrimination would be 0%. Not even in 2011 is this the case by a long shot. This is why we do the work that we do. Discrimination in housing is a reality, and who you choose to represent you in the sale or lease of a home is crucial.