Howard, CEO, NAHB

WASHINGTON, DC-The NAACP and the National Association of Home Builders are joining forces and resources to work against minority discrimination in the homebuilding area. The two organizations have released a report detailing their policy objectives under this initiative.

“There has historically been a lag in home ownership between minorities and Americans of European descent,” Duane Desiderio, staff vice president for legal affairs at NAHB, tells GlobeSt.com, citing a 25% lag that currently exists.

Actions the two organizations plan to take together range from lobbying efforts at all levels of government to litigation against violations of fair housing laws. Already, the two organizations have joined forces to litigate a case in Texas in which local regulations have resulted, they say, in de facto minority housing discrimination.

The target is an ordinance passed by the City of Kyle, a bedroom community outside of Austin, which increased the minimum square footage of houses and lots, as well as mandated several high-end features such as three-car garages and top quality construction and design materials in new homes. Desiderio says the new requirement will add approximately $38,500 in costs per unit.

“These requirements affect the wallets of all potential homebuyers, of course, but they disproportionately affect African Americans, Hispanics and other people of color.” The local NAHB lobbied against the ordinance, arguing to the city council that the new requirements were unnecessary and would drive up the price of housing.

Other joint policy initiatives under the partnership include:

• Comprehensive homebuyer education developed and promoted by public and private housing market participants.
• The elimination of predatory lending practices by better defining such practices and encouraging federal banking regulators to develop and enforce stringent anti-predatory lending regulations.
• Increased federal, state and local enforcement of the nation’s fair housing laws and education about those laws.
• The promotion of measures to ensure that state and local regulatory activities do not--regardless of intent--violate the Fair Housing Act by disproportionately pricing minorities out of the housing market.
• The encouragement of local planning and zoning boards to accommodate a range of housing types that meet the needs of families across the economic spectrum.
• The encouragement of government legislators, regulators and administrators to remove and avoid lengthy and costly approval processes and excessive development standards that unnecessarily drive up the cost of housing.
• Increase funding for federal housing programs, such as HOME, Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and Community Development Block grants.
• Maintain all existing housing preferences in the federal tax code, including the mortgage interest deduction, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and deductions for residential property taxes.
• The promotion of new affordable housing by educating public and private stakeholders that affordable housing is a necessary and desirable part of their communities.

The NAACP was unable to comment in time for publication.