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Bank of America Accused of Racial Discrimination in Toledo
and 200 Other U.S. Cities
Toledo Fair Housing Center Joins Civil Rights Groups to
Announce Filing of Discrimination Complaint
Over Neglected Foreclosures in African American and Latino
Neighborhoods
Today, Toledo Fair Housing Center will join the National
Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and other local fair housing
organizations to file an amended discrimination complaint
against Bank of America (BoA), alleging illegal
discrimination in African American and Latino neighborhoods.
This new evidence of discriminatory treatment by BoA will be
added to the federal Fair Housing Act complaint on file with
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The
complaint is now comprised of evidence from 1,267 BoA
properties in 30 metropolitan areas and 201 cities
throughout the United States.
“Banks should be creating financial opportunities, not
contributing to neighborhood blight,” stated Michael Marsh,
president and CEO of Toledo Fair Housing Center. “By failing
to maintain and market foreclosed properties in communities
of color, Bank of America has played a role in the continued
struggle of our neighborhoods of color to recover from the
recent housing crisis. The neglected properties in
African-American and Latino neighborhoods reveal significant
racial disparities when compared to White neighborhoods, and
this means our communities of color will experience the
higher crime rates, increased health risks, and economic
disadvantages associated with foreclosures. Bank of America
has a responsibility to maintain all of their properties, so
that all members of our community have a fair chance to live
in a safe, healthy, vibrant neighborhood. Our responsibility
is to hold them accountable for that.”
Evidence obtained during this investigation reveals
continued failure by Bank of America to perform simple,
routine maintenance on its foreclosures in African-American
and Latino neighborhoods. BoA routinely fails to lock or
secure doors and windows, remove trash and debris left by
former owners, mow and edge lawns, trim shrubs, and cut back
invasive plants. Meanwhile, BoA keeps its foreclosures in
white neighborhoods in good condition. Lawns are mowed and
edged regularly, and BoA properly disposes of the belongings
left behind by former owners. BoA is paid to perform these
routine duties in all neighborhoods for all of its
foreclosures.
“This disgraceful neglect of foreclosed homes in communities
of color is not news to executives at Bank of America. We
put them on notice in 2009 and met with them to share
photographs of the failed maintenance, but to no avail. It
is reprehensible for Bank of America to continue
discriminating in African American and Latino neighborhoods
all across the U.S.,” said Shanna Smith, president and CEO
of NFHA.
Fair housing organizations joining the National Fair Housing
Alliance in amending the complaint are located in the
following areas: Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Metropolitan
Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Orlando, FL; and Toledo, OH. The
National Fair Housing Alliance investigated the foreclosures
in Memphis, TN; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and Prince
George’s County, MD.
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate based
on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability,
or familial status. It is also illegal to discriminate
based on the race or national origin of neighborhood
residents. This law applies to housing and housing-related
activities, including the maintenance, appraisal, listing,
marketing, and selling of homes.
Highlights of Significant Racial Disparities in Toledo
Between March 2013 and July 2016, the Toledo Fair Housing
Center investigated 40 Bank of America foreclosures in
African-American, Latino and white neighborhoods in metro
Toledo.
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50 percent of the Bank of America foreclosures in
African-American neighborhoods had 10 or more
maintenance or marketing deficiencies, while only 8.3
percent or just two of the foreclosures in predominantly
white neighborhoods had 10 or more deficiencies.
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68.8 percent or 11 out of 16 of the Bank of America
foreclosures in African-American neighborhoods had
substantial amounts of trash on the premises, while only
16.7 percent or four of 24 in predominantly white
neighborhoods did.
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31.3 percent of the Bank of America foreclosures in
African American neighborhoods had unsecured or broken
doors, while only one of 24 foreclosures in
predominantly White neighborhoods did.
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50 percent or eight of the Bank of America foreclosures
in African American neighborhoods had damaged steps or
handrails, while only 16.7 percent or four of 24 of the
foreclosures in predominantly white neighborhoods did.
Full national statistics, maps, and data for individual
cities available at
www.nationalfairhousing.org.
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