Who commits steering in fair housing violations?

Who commits steering in fair housing violations?

• A. The real estate agent
• B. The mortgage lender
• C. The property assessor
• D. The city zoning board

Answer: (A)

Steering happens when a housing professional directs a client toward or away from certain neighborhoods or properties because of protected characteristics (like race, religion, or family status). The person who most directly does this is the real estate agent, who controls which properties a client is shown and which areas are encouraged or discouraged. That real estate professional is responsible because their guidance shapes where the client looks to live, which is exactly what steering is designed to prevent. Mortgage lenders can be involved in discriminatory practices in financing, and those are illegal too, but they’re a different issue (discriminatory lending) rather than steering in the housing-search process. A property assessor or city zoning board don’t steer a specific buyer toward or away from a particular neighborhood; their roles are related to value assessment and land-use rules, respectively.

Steering happens when a housing professional directs a client toward or away from certain neighborhoods or properties because of protected characteristics (like race, religion, or family status). The person who most directly does this is the real estate agent, who controls which properties a client is shown and which areas are encouraged or discouraged. That real estate professional is responsible because their guidance shapes where the client looks to live, which is exactly what steering is designed to prevent.

Mortgage lenders can be involved in discriminatory practices in financing, and those are illegal too, but they’re a different issue (discriminatory lending) rather than steering in the housing-search process. A property assessor or city zoning board don’t steer a specific buyer toward or away from a particular neighborhood; their roles are related to value assessment and land-use rules, respectively.