A new article published in the Iowa Law Review examines how the federal government – from the Department of Housing to the Department of Defense – perpetuates housing segregation. Heather Abraham, Director of the Civil Rights & Transparency Clinic at SUNY-University at Buffalo School of Law, writes that the government largely enables segregation in three ways: its spending, failure to enforce housing laws, and failure to update programs to create fair housing. 

What’s more, the author writes that the government runs on “autopilot” and continues to reinforce segregation by not breaking its discriminatory habits of the past. 

The author does offer solutions to the perpetuated housing segregation in this country. These include: internal audits and assessments, more regulations, studies on how government actions affect racial equity, and increased coordination between agencies to support a shared goal of housing equity. Read the full article here. 

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