Housing discrimination is prevalent in Vermont, according to a recent study conducted by Vermont Legal Aid's Housing Discrimination Law Project.
The study found that African Americans, foreign-born people - or people who sound foreign-born, people with children, and people with disabilities face significant discrimination when they try to rent an apartment, Rachel Batterson of Vermont Legal Aid, explained on VPR yesterday. Funded through HUD, the study consisted of 90 site visits of open rental units as well as 300 phone tests over the past two years, primarily in Chittenden County.
The study's release marks the start of Fair Housing Month, the time of the year when the nation commemorates the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act and celebrates the right of every person to live where they choose free from discrimination, regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, or disability.
Hear Jane Lindholm's interview on VPR with Rachel Batterson.