Black Women With Criminal Records Have A Harder Time Than Their White Peers Finding Housing In D.C.

WASHINGTON ― Black women with criminal records are treated less favorably than their white counterparts while looking for housing in D.C., according to a new report from the Equal Rights Center released Tuesday. 

Housing providers favored white female applicants with criminal records in 47 percent of tests conducted by ERC, while 11 percent of tests found favor toward black applicants. Forty-two percent of tests found no differential treatment between applicants. Twenty-eight percent of tests discovered screening policies that may not align with those in the Fair Housing Act, the group says.