ABSTRACT
Several explanations for persistent segregation have been posited, ranging from persistent economic disparities to race-specific housing preferences, yet the most convincing analytical evidence points to the prevalence of discrimination in housing markets. Rates of overall discrimination may have decreased somewhat between 1989 and 2000, with the exception of racial steering of African Americans and limitations in the financing opportunities and access to rental units for Hispanics. Housing audits are particularly useful in uncovering otherwise undetectable exclusionary discrimination by comparing tester experiences in securing housing through random sampling of advertised units. Yet, there may be a connection between the prevalence of non-exclusionary discrimination in the housing arena, in the form of differential treatment, intimidation, and harassment, and persistent patterns of residential segregation or the avoidance of certain neighborhoods, areas, and complexes. Perpetrators typically utilize legitimate appearing processes to exclude minorities from gaining access to housing.
