Syosset, NY (March 2009) – A new study by ERASE Racism has found that when it comes to fair housing, Long Island receives a failing grade. As the third most racially segregated suburban community in the country, Long Island’s housing discrimination is a long unsolved problem. Detailed findings in its report, The Racial Equity Report Card: Fair Housing on Long Island, reveal that there are problems with laws, with their enforcement (or lack of enforcement), with the policies and practices of government agencies (federal, state and local) and with the practices of real estate and other businesses. New survey data indicate that nearly 40% of Long Island African-Americans say that they or an immediate family member have experienced housing discrimination either by real estate agents, or Caucasian landlords or homeowners. Twenty-one percent of Latinos report similar experiences with housing discrimination on Long Island. Housing discrimination is an island-wide problem with almost every Long Island community generating at least one fair housing complaint between 2000 and 2007.

“With the historic inauguration of the first president of the United States who is African-American, some pundits, ordinary citizens and donors have mistakenly concluded that this single act has ushered in the age of post racism,” said Elaine Gross, President, ERASE Racism. “On the contrary, racism, particularly in the housing market, education and social relations on Long Island, persists.”

Long Island has a long history of government-sanctioned and government-sponsored housing segregation. It began with The National Housing Act of 1934 provided for government-insured low-cost mortgages. This legislation was particularly helpful for returning World War II veterans. Under this program, deeds for many Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-supported homes (like the 17,400 in Levittown) had covenants restricting those properties to Caucasians. African-American residents were forbidden from receiving government sponsored low-cost mortgages and were steered into all black communities by the realty industry, irrespective of income level.

"Our housing and school patterns on Long Island are not the result of chance or personal preference,” said Howard Glickstein, former Dean of Touro Law School and Vice Chair of ERASE Racism. “Government at all levels, as well as the real estate industry, has shaped the communities where we live. The burden of change rests on the shoulders of government and industry."

African-Americans have been the hardest hit by the recent economic crisis. Historically, in tough economic times, discrimination increases and racial equity concerns in general take a back seat. According to the study, the African-American community, followed by the Latino community, receives a disproportionate share of subprime loans regardless of income and creditworthiness. These populations will bear the brunt of subprime foreclosures on Long Island and, as currently configured, the stimulus plans do not address this disproportionate impact. In addition, in many Long Island communities, exclusionary zoning restricts construction of affordable and multifamily housing and makes it financially infeasible. In other Long Island communities, access to new, affordable, housing is restricted to those who already live or work in those communities.

“The unavailability of affordable housing, particularly rental housing, presents a critical problem for low and moderate income persons across Long Island”, said Marge Rogatz, President of Community Advocates and Secretary of ERASE Racism. “African-Americans are especially disadvantaged by pervasive discriminatory policies and practices, making it all but impossible for them to obtain and retain decent affordable housing on Long Island.”

Government agencies at all levels fail miserably when it comes to promoting and enforcing fair housing policies and laws.

On the State level, the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR), which is responsible for enforcing the State fair housing law has been found to mishandle fair housing cases more often than not by not responding to complaints, conducting ineffective investigations, filing incomplete paperwork and missing statutory deadlines for prosecuting complaints.

The New York State Division of Licensing has failed to take an aggressive role in revoking and suspending real estate professional’s licenses for violating the code of ethics and terms of licensing that relate to fair housing.

On the federal level, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has failed to do its job of overseeing and monitoring the NYSDHR and the municipalities that continue to receive funding yet do not take appropriate actions to comply with fair housing regulations. The municipalities on Long Island have failed as a whole to take any significant steps towards drafting and implementing community development plans that address inequities caused by racial segregation.