Racial Discrimination the Housing Market

Racial Discrimination the Housing Market

  • Submitted By: sclibn
  • Date Submitted: 09/20/2015 3:31 AM
  • Category: Philosophy
  • Words: 486
  • Page: 2

Essay 2
PHIL 140
April 9, 2014
Racial Discrimination in Rental Housing Markets
The issue about this case is that the rental agents aren’t being outright racist when dealing with their black clients. They are acting in their own self-interest; by only showing people they believe are going to make their payments. Ethical egoist would think that this is okay, because the rental agents are making sure their welfare is met. The article stated that this type of discrimination was happening before Hurricane Katrina but continues to be an ongoing issue today. Because of the media attention people, predominantly black, got from Katrina may have cause ad the misconception that the black community is living in poverty.
The rental agents may not be saying racial slurs to the black clients face but it is still morally wrong to deny them from viewing or knowing about rentals because of the color of their skin. If the where being denied because of their credit score or rental history it would be a different story, but as the article for the case stated that what not what was happening. The agents are morally wrong because they decided to act the way they did because of race. Not returning phone calls, lying about rentals being available, and not showing inside the rental properties to a person that is black is morally wrong.
The articles also stated that it was important that the Fair Housing Act to be a key part in the rebuilding process (Sturgis, 2007). Peter Singer would of agreed with this. “While we spend money on trivia, people are starving in other parts of the world. Our moral code regards contributing to famine relief as charity, which means that it is not wrong to fail to prevent suffering when one can do without sacrificing anything morally significant” (Singer, 1972).
In this case Peter singer would be appalled at the behavior of the agents. He would agree with the Fair Housing Act needing to be enforced and holding that state responsible when it wasn't....

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