Housing discrimination is still worth worrying about

Several scholars claim that racial and ethnic discrimination in housing is now relatively infrequent and has Little impact on the lives of black and H ispanic households. They conclude that money spent on fair housing enforcem ent will do little or nothing to help people in these groups. This article examines these claims. The article concludes that these claims are not consistent with the evidence, which shows that discrimination in h ousing is still a common experience for blacks and Hispanics and that the c ost of discrimination is still high. Moreover, discrimination constrains th e opportunities of people in these groups to go to good schools, to find jo bs, and to accumulate home equity. Thus, improved enforcement of fair housi ng legislation not only promotes principles that are at the heart of our de mocracy but also attacks one pillar of the system that perpetuates large in tergroup disparities in earnings and wealth.