Luna Harper
Former US President Donald Trump has been accused of refusing housing to black people. Rental agents working for Trump were allegedly sent memos that said to avoid renting to black people. A former employee at one of Trump's properties claimed that applications filed by black apartment seekers were marked with a C for colored. Trump and his father fought a 1973 discrimination lawsuit brought by the Justice Department for their alleged refusal to rent apartments in predominantly white buildings to black tenants. The settlement did not require the Trumps to explicitly acknowledge that discrimination had occurred, but the government's description of the settlement said they had failed and neglected to comply with the Fair Housing Act. Trump has also been accused of targeting minority communities and leaning into racist tropes to cast minority citizens as threats to society.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1973 |
| Parties Involved | Fred Trump, Donald Trump, Trump Management, Inc., Justice Department |
| Allegations | Racial discrimination in renting apartments, violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968 |
| Evidence | Marked applications, coded papers, phony leases, employee testimonies |
| Outcome | Settled in 1975 with a consent decree prohibiting discrimination, Trumps did not admit guilt |
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What You'll Learn
- Rental agents working for Trump sent memos to avoid renting to black people
- Applications from Black apartment seekers were marked with a C for Coloured
- A former employee claimed he was told they're blacks and that's that
- A leasing manager told a prospective tenant they discriminated against blacks
- The Trumps were prohibited from discriminating against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling
Rental agents working for Trump sent memos to avoid renting to black people
In 1973, the Justice Department filed a civil rights case against Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and their real estate company, alleging that the firm had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The complaint included evidence from black and white "testers" who had sought to rent apartments; the white testers were informed of vacancies, while the black testers were not or were steered toward apartment complexes with a higher proportion of racial minorities.
Rental agents working for Trump were allegedly sent memos instructing them to avoid renting to black people. According to the Department of Justice, a former employee at Trump's Highlander complex claimed that he would attach a coded piece of paper to inform the "central office" that an applicant was black. Additionally, a super's assistant supported the story, stating that she was told, "Trump Management tries not to rent to black persons."
The case also alleged that Trump employees placed codes next to housing applicant names to indicate if they were black. Applications filed by black apartment seekers were marked with a "C" for "colored."
In 1975, the matter was settled with a consent decree, which included a disclaimer of liability, stating that the settlement was "in no way an admission" of a violation. However, the decree prohibited the Trumps from discriminating against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling. They were ordered to familiarize themselves with the Fair Housing Act and place ads informing minorities of equal housing opportunities.
While some sources claim that the settlement was minor and did not require an explicit acknowledgment of discrimination, others argue that it was one of the most far-reaching decrees negotiated, providing qualified Blacks and Puerto Ricans with the opportunity to rent apartments owned by Trump Management.
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Applications from Black apartment seekers were marked with a C for Coloured
In 1973, the US Department of Justice filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Donald Trump and his father, alleging that they had refused to rent apartments in predominantly white buildings to black tenants. Testimonies and government filings revealed that Trump employees had marked applications from Black apartment seekers with a "C" for "Colored" and used other codes such as "No. 9". These codes were part of a racial coding system used to direct Black and Puerto Rican applicants away from white-dominated buildings and towards properties with a high proportion of minorities.
One example of this discriminatory practice was at the Trump-run Ocean Terrace Apartments in Brooklyn, where only 1% of tenants were Black. In contrast, the Patio Gardens complex on Flatbush Avenue in the same borough had a 40% Black tenancy. A Black woman was turned away from a predominantly white complex but was told to try obtaining an apartment at Patio Gardens, where a Black judge had recently become a tenant.
Undercover testers from government-sanctioned investigations also experienced discrimination. In one instance, a Black woman seeking to rent an apartment in a Brooklyn complex managed by Trump was told that nothing was available. However, when a white woman made the same request shortly after, she was offered a choice of two units.
The 1973 lawsuit against the Trumps was settled, but the settlement did not require them to explicitly acknowledge that discrimination had occurred. Instead, the government's description of the settlement stated that the Trumps had "failed and neglected" to comply with the Fair Housing Act.
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A former employee claimed he was told they're blacks and that's that
In 1973, the Justice Department filed a civil rights case against Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and their real estate company, alleging that the firm had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The case, United States v. Fred C. Trump, Donald Trump, and Trump Management, Inc. 1:73-01529 (E.D.N.Y.), alleged that Trump Management had refused to rent apartments to black tenants and placed codes next to black applicants' names.
One former employee of Trump Management claimed that he was told by another individual at the company that "they're blacks and that's that" when he inquired about renting to a black applicant. This employee had only been working at the company for two weeks when this incident occurred.
The case also included evidence from \"testers\" who had sought to rent apartments, with white testers being told of vacancies and black testers being told that there were none or being steered towards apartment complexes with a higher proportion of racial minorities. Rental agents working for Trump were allegedly sent memos instructing them to avoid renting to black people, and a coded piece of paper was attached to applications to notify the "central office" that an applicant was black.
The case was settled in 1975 with a consent decree that prohibited the Trumps from discriminating against any person in the terms or conditions of rental housing. While the Trumps did not admit any guilt, they were ordered to place ads informing minorities that they had an equal opportunity to seek housing at their properties.
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A leasing manager told a prospective tenant they discriminated against blacks
In the United States, the Fair Housing Act establishes laws that make it illegal for a leasing manager to discriminate against a protected class when renting a property. Protected characteristics include gender, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. California law also protects individuals from illegal discrimination and harassment by housing providers based on certain protected characteristics. This includes discrimination and harassment based on intersecting characteristics or the protected characteristic of a family member, friend, roommate, or other associates.
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits housing providers from discriminating against or harassing tenants, homeowners, residents, their guests, housing or mortgage applicants, and home buyers. Discriminatory actions can include refusal to rent or lease a property, refusal to negotiate, and refusal to allow reasonable modifications for disabled tenants.
To protect themselves from disparate impact claims, landlords must have supporting documentation that all applicants are treated the same and that tenants were accepted or rejected based on legal screening criteria. Landlords and property managers must also treat all residents equally during their tenancy. If a resident feels they have been discriminated against, they can file a Fair Housing or Disparate Impact claim.
Therefore, if a leasing manager told a prospective tenant that they discriminated against blacks, they would be in violation of federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in housing based on race or other protected characteristics. Such actions could result in legal consequences and claims filed by the affected tenant.
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The Trumps were prohibited from discriminating against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling
In 1973, the Justice Department filed a civil rights case against Fred Trump, Donald Trump, and their real estate company, Trump Management, Inc. The complaint alleged that the company had committed systemic violations of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 across 39 buildings, comprising over 14,000 apartments.
Evidence was provided by 'testers' who sought to rent apartments. White testers were informed of vacancies, while Black testers were not, or were steered towards complexes with a higher proportion of racial minorities. There was also evidence that Trump employees placed codes next to Black applicants' names.
The Trumps denied any wrongdoing, and the case was eventually settled in 1975 with a consent decree. As part of the settlement, the Trumps were prohibited from "discriminating against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling." They were also required to place ads informing minorities that they had an equal opportunity to seek housing at their properties.
Despite the settlement, some sources suggest that Trump continued to discriminate against Black tenants. One source mentions that rental agents working for Trump were sent memos instructing them to avoid renting to Black people. Another source claims that Trump refused to rent to welfare recipients, who were "overwhelmingly black." However, it is unclear whether this was due to racism or other factors, such as concerns about tenants' ability to pay rent.
In conclusion, while the Trumps were legally prohibited from discriminating in the rental of their dwellings, there is some evidence to suggest that discriminatory practices may have persisted in their businesses.
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Frequently asked questions
There is evidence to suggest that this was the case. Rental agents working for Trump were allegedly sent memos that said to avoid renting to black people. Applications filed by Black apartment seekers were marked with a "C" for "colored".
Yes, Trump and his father were sued by the Justice Department in 1973 for their alleged refusal to rent apartments in predominantly white buildings to Black tenants. The settlement that ended the lawsuit did not require the Trumps to explicitly admit that discrimination had occurred, and Trump has since claimed that the case was settled "without any admission of guilt".
The settlement of the lawsuit did not require the Trumps to admit guilt, but the government's description of the settlement said that Trump and his father had "failed and neglected" to comply with the Fair Housing Act.
The discrimination case brought negative publicity for Trump, and it is possible that it contributed to the perception of him as racist or insensitive to the issues faced by minority communities.
Yes, Trump publicly denied that he had done anything wrong and claimed that the case was brought against "many real estate firms", which is incorrect according to the AP News article.
