Edgar Leon Gomez, “The Effects of the Fair Housing Act (1968) on Latinos in Wisconsin”
Mentor: Paru Shah, Political Science
Poster #157

Despite the passage of The Fair Housing Act in 1968 (FHA), Latinos continue to face housing discrimination while accounting for 55.4 percent of the total growth in the United States from 2000 to 2001. Latinos may be hesitant to report any discrimination they face due to factors such as immigration status. Discrimination for Latinos include the denial of a purchase of a home because of their ethnicity and being given subprime loans that force them to go bankrupt. My research explores the housing situation of Latinos in Wisconsin to better understand the needs of the community. Using a voluntary survey, data was collected from around the state to gain a better understanding of individual’s housing situation. I reached out to people who might be interested, and their identity remained anonymous in the survey. The study is based on the spatial assimilation theory which assumes that immigrants disperse from their ethnic neighborhoods as they increase their socioeconomic status. It is anticipated that most Latinos will be unfamiliar with the FHA along with a majority living in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. Using results from two separate survey rounds, I will aim to explore how Latinos in Wisconsin feel about housing discrimination and how familiar they are with their protections in the FHA.