Majority of U.S. residents say they've faced housing discrimination

A majority of U.S. residents say they've faced some form of housing discrimination, but less than half think laws addressing it might apply to them, according to new research from Zillow.

Approximately 57% of people in 26 cities nationwide said they had faced housing bias in the brokerage's recent survey, with the share rising to as high as 79% in the LGBTQ community. 

Among the other different population segments Zillow surveyed, 69% of Black consumers said they were impacted, followed by Hispanics, with 64%. Across all nonwhite groups, 63% mentioned they had felt the effect of discrimination. 

"This research shows how far we have to go to make housing fair and accessible for all," said Manny Garcia, senior population scientist at Zillow, in a press release.

Renters were also more likely than homeowners to feel unfairly denied based on their status. A 61% share of renters expressed that view, as opposed to 53% of homeowners.

But while the issue appears widespread across the country, less than half of the respondents — just 42% — that Zillow surveyed thought fair housing rules impacted them or their families. The findings indicate work is still needed to properly inform people of their rights under fair housing laws, the company said. 

"Fair housing issues are more likely to be top of mind for younger generations, likely attributable to their higher likelihood of moving, renting and buying a home more frequently than older generations, given their current stage of life," Garcia noted. 

Sixty-one percent of the LGBTQ community said they understood how fair housing laws might apply to them, the largest share among all groups surveyed. Black residents came in at 57%. 

Half of all renters, meanwhile, suggested they knew of such laws to protect them. 

Addressing fair housing is essential to narrowing the homeownership gap between whites and previously underserved populations, leaders in the industry regularly emphasize. U.S. Census Bureau data shows the homeownership rate among white households in the country at 74%, while only 46% of Black and 49% of Hispanic households own property, due in part to exclusionary housing practices.

Although housing groups and lenders continue to make concerted efforts to open up homeownership to more families, rising interest rates and prices, still stand in the way of narrowing the racial gap. But several banks and lenders have introduced down payment assistance or other first-time homebuyer programs over the past year, and changes in some underwriting policies now factor in rent payments and newer credit scoring models. 

While Zillow's data shows more education might be in order when it comes to understanding fair housing policies, most respondents in its survey recognize the role homeownership has in achieving financial wellness. Close to 78% said owning a home is critical to building and passing on generational wealth, and the opinion was shared almost equally across all population segments.