Letter to Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim
Velázquez Calls for Investigation into Discriminatory Real Estate Practices in Brooklyn
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.,) has called on the office of Assistant United States Attorney General Wan J. Kim to conduct an investigation into allegations of unfair housing practices, including racial steering and unequal access to services and financial incentives, in Brooklyn, New York.
A recent report released by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), contends that Corcoran Group Real Estate, an NRT member company, has engaged in activities that are in violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Congresswoman Velázquez has called upon the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into these claims, as it is critical to ensure equal access to quality, affordable housing to all New Yorkers.
Below is the text of the letter:
October 27, 2006
The Honorable Wan J. Kim
Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, NWB
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Assistant Attorney General Kim:
"I am writing to request that the Department of Justice take immediate action to investigate allegations that discriminatory real-estate practices may be widespread in Brooklyn, New York. Any such actions would greatly undermine the safeguards in place to protect the rights of people seeking to buy or rent a home, making additional examination necessary.
Reports that the Corcoran Group Real Estate, A NRT member company, committed several instances of abuse in violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are not only troubling, but point to a possible "practice and pattern of discrimination" in neighborhoods located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Examples include racial steering, where customers where shown maps with areas designated as more desirable for white home buyers. Still other customers were found to receive less information, fewer services, and were not offered the same financial incentives to purchase homes. Such findings are especially troubling considering that a housing discrimination report conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2000 uncovered similar violations of the Fair Housing Act taking place in the same geographical area. Actions limiting the choice of where people live in New York City must be stopped, as it currently ranks as one of the most segregated cities in the nation with minorities often concentrated in more economically and culturally disadvantaged areas.
It is essential that the Department of Justice take the necessary steps to investigate the claims of housing discrimination in Brooklyn, New York, especially given the Department of Justice's recent establishment of Operation Home Sweet Home and the Attorney General's stated commitment to end discrimination against people trying to rent or buy a home. In addition, your work to enforce the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and Title II of the Civil Rights Act is critical in eliminating the disparity in homeownership rates among whites and minorities, as well as paramount to ending segregation in housing. I urge the Departments of Justice to take prompt action, and thank you in advance for you attention to this important matter."
http://www.house.gov/velazquez/PressReleases/2006/pr102706.htm