Fair Housing
Advancing the right of families to live in communities with good jobs, schools, and city services—regardless of race, ethnicity, or income.
As a result of systemic racism and discrimination, a person’s race, disability status, and other core identities often determine whether or not they can live in a healthy home in a neighborhood of their choice. This discrimination takes many different forms – people of color bear the primary brunt of environmental pollution from oil refineries and warehouse distribution centers; wealthy white neighborhoods block new affordable housing; landlords are allowed to put their greed above the needs of renters for a stable roof over their heads.
State and federal law prohibit discrimination in housing because of a person’s race, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, and other identities. But the law also requires government agencies to study and root out inequality in all aspects of housing—from rules about where affordable housing can be built, to environmental hazards, to renters rights.
Public Advocates has been at the forefront of writing and enforcing fair housing laws in California for over 50 years. We are fighting to make sure that communities of color receive a fair share of public and private investment, that exclusionary neighborhoods stop hoarding resources and welcome affordable housing, and that renters (most of whom are from lower-income communities and people of color who continue to face generations old racist and classist policies) can remain in their homes.