A home is a place of safety, refuge, and comfort, yet millions of minority individuals are not given fair opportunities to find a place to live. Offered subprime mortgages, unfavorable conditions, and inadequate housing, minority individuals are confined to and limited by their substandard neighborhoods.

More than 50 years after desegregation was ordered by law, residential segregation still exists. New York City is celebrated for its diversity, but much of the city remains divided along racial and ethnic lines.

• East Flatbush, Brooklyn is 86 percent black
• Washington Heights, Manhattan is 70 percent Latino

Are these racial divisions what America aspires to be? 

While we would like to think racial discrimination is a thing of the past, it remains prevalent in modern society. Recent federally conducted studies prove the existence of housing discrimination and the devastating effects it can have on minority homeowners. The study shows that African American and Asian homebuyers are offered about 20% fewer homes than their white counterparts, simply on account of their race (more on the study can be found here). They are also more likely to be rejected for mortgages or charged higher rates compared to equally credit worthy whites. Shunned by realtors, minority individuals are confined to substandard neighborhoods. As a result, many Americans do not have access to "safe, affordable housing in communities that are rich with opportunity" (HUD Secretary Julian Castro).

These practices are in fact against the law, but are difficult to expose, and continue to go unpunished by the government. 

The current administration has taken an important step by requiring neighborhoods to track progress in racial bias. However, in light of the recent studies proving the continued existence of housing discrimination, more must be done.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has considered withholding federal funds to neighborhoods fostering racial segregation, but no official action has been taken. The cut in funding would serve as an effective incentive to end housing discrimination and promote equitable homeownership opportunities across the nation.

An American’s opportunities should not be limited by the neighborhood he or she lives in.

Sign this petition to tell your Congressmen and HUD to withhold federal funds from neighborhoods that do not take affirmative action towards integration.