The Resegregation of America: The State of Fair Housing

Kim M. Keenan

General Counsel, NAACP
Begin: 0:01

Jacob L. Vigdor

Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Duke University
Begin: 1:45

Shanna L. Smith

President/CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance
Begin: 6:03

Diane L. Houk

Of Counsel, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP
Begin: 11:31

Harvey Epstein

Associate Director, Urban Justice Center
Begin: 13:40

Housing segregation persists today, with the rising income gap of the past few decades to blame. Of course, the millions of incidents of housing discrimination that occur annually cannot be overlooked. Contemporary housing crises, like unprecedented foreclosures and post-Katrina housing shortages, have also played a significant role. Because our access to education, health care, and other necessities are often determined by where we live, what legal and policy measures can be advanced to prevent the resegregation of America? With courts chipping away at organizational standing in several civil rights contexts, are the enforcement efforts of private fair housing organizations threatened? Given repeated efforts by the Supreme Court to consider disparate impact in the fair housing context—first with Magner v. Gallagher and now with Mount Holly v. Mt. Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, Inc.—will disparate impact remain a viable tool to combat housing discrimination? What deference should be given to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s regulation affirming the disparate impact standard? How can we ensure that tools meant to increase housing opportunity and access, like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, are not being used to further discrimination? Speakers included:

Harvey Epstein, Associate Director, Urban Justice Center

Diane L. Houk, Of Counsel, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP

Kim M. Keenan, General Counsel, NAACP

Shanna L. Smith, President/CEO, National Fair Housing Alliance

Jacob L. Vigdor, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Duke University