Summer 2003
New www.fairhousinglaw.org Campaign Fights Housing Discrimination
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF), in partnership with the Ad Council and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), has launched a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign, www.fairhousinglaw.org, to raise public awareness of the types of subtle but widespread forms of housing discrimination that occur across the nation. The PSAs aim to empower potential complainants by raising awareness of the federal Fair Housing Act and encouraging victims and witnesses to report acts of discrimination. Support for the campaign is provided through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Housing discrimination is a pervasive problem nationwide. It is also severely under-reported," said Karen McGill Lawson, LCCREF's executive director. "It is sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, but always an insidious act that bars home seekers from opportunities to live where they choose. We hope our campaign sends a signal to those who discriminate, but more importantly we want victims of discrimination to know that there is redress."
Persons who suffer housing discrimination are often unaware that they have been discriminated against because they don't know that they are protected by the law, or because they do not know that other homeseekers have been treated more favorably. The federal Fair Housing Act, signed into law in 1968, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and family status. Yet, an estimated two million instances of housing discrimination still occur in America each year, and less than 1% of these cases are reported.
"It is difficult to fight housing discrimination without being armed with information," explained Shanna Smith, NFHA's president. "This campaign is vitally important because it empowers people who are unaware that they have been victims of housing discrimination with facts on what to look for and then how to respond."
Created pro bono by the ad agency Merkley Newman Harty, the television, radio and print ads target the people most likely to encounter housing discrimination (African Americans, Arab Americans, Latinos, Asians, individuals with disabilities, and families with children) and others who may witness it.
One television spot, entitled "Accents," features a man calling a housing office several times, using varying accents and names, to find out about an apartment for rent. Each time he is told that the apartment is no longer available, until he portrays a Caucasian man. Only then is he told that the apartment is available and that he can set up an appointment to view it.
Another ad, entitled "Do You Still Like Me?," shows a man slowly morphing into individuals of different ethnicities, genders, and family situations, all of whom are likely housing discrimination victims. With his voice remaining constant throughout, he stares directly into the camera and at each stage of the morphing process asks the viewers if they would rent an apartment to him.
The print ads feature photographs of a diverse group of Americans who may encounter discrimination with statements such as, "Discrimination says they can't be neighbors. The law says they can."
All of the PSAs feature the tagline, "Fair Housing. It's not an option. It's the law." and direct audiences to call 1-800-669-9777 or to visit the campaign web site www.fairhousinglaw.org if they think that they've been victims of housing discrimination or have witnessed an act of discrimination.
Additional information on the campaign can be obtained by contacting Lisa Haywood, Campaign Coordinator, LCCREF, at (202) 466-3434.
