In Massachusetts, federal and state civil rights laws prohibit housing discrimination based on race and source of income, among other factors. Suffolk University’s study, however, demonstrates that high levels of discrimination based upon both of those classes are occurring. The fieldwork for this study was conducted at a time of keen focus on the lack of affordable housing in Greater Boston and the threat that crisis poses to our region’s continued prosperity. The analysis shows that just as important as supply is the issue of access to existing and new housing for all. Housing access is critical for health and safety and we are at a point where the impact of lack of access is on full display. The coronavirus pandemic and all of its fallout have underscored the ties between housing and health. The continued killing of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color by law enforcement and the nationwide protests that have been occurring since the brutal killing of George Floyd have intensified awareness of systemic racism and inequity in America. This study offers further evidence of the entrenchment of discrimination and the unequal application of rights, with its close examination of Boston’s rental housing practices.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Live @ 7pm
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FREE EVENT
PLEASE REGISTER TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
