Housing Discrimination: Policy Research, Methods and Results

Ten years ago, competent scholars thought it was impossible to measure racial discrimination directly. In 1977, HUD spent $1 million to measure the nature and extent of racial discrimination in housing. This nationwide Audit was the culmination of seven years of prior auditing conducted by local volunteer community organizations across the country. The Audit is a quasi-experimental field survey, which is used not only as a baseline for measuring changes in the extent and nature of housing discrimintion, but also as a means of implementing social change on local and national levels. Four action approaches have used Audit findings to expand equal housing opportunities for blacks: Legislation, Negotiation, Remuneration, and Litigation. These are illustrated in six local case studies. The nationwide Audit differed from prior community Audits in five ways, indicating rigorous controls and standardization. Results of the HUD Audit, though incomplete, reveal persistent massive racial discrimination in housing, with some geographical variations. Policy changes are sought to strengthen enforcement of federal fair housing laws on national and local levels.