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| steered to house in east Allentown |
Alan Jennings, friend of both the poor and NIZ developers, found a new battle to fight. For a mere $25,000 of taxpayer dollars, he had a sister organization in Philadelphia
conduct a sting operation against Allentown Realtors. According to the results of 22 phone calls and 11 appointments, whites and minorities were steered to different parts of the city.
The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, with the help of the city of Allentown, organized the fair housing test after hearing anecdotes of housing discrimination for years, said Alan Jennings, executive director of the CACLV.
I think perhaps someone should investigate the expenditure of the $25,000. That's over $1300 a snoop, especially pricey for the phone calls. The Fair Housing Laws are explicit. Anybody who feels that they were discriminated against may file a complaint, and the Federal government will investigate specific charges. Were the phone calls leading? Are there white homeowners in the West End who feel cheated that they didn't know about center city housing? Are there minority homeowners in center city who didn't know about other sections of Allentown? Have potential buyers been denied the opportunity to view and make offers on houses of their choosing? Have these Realtors caused Allentown's current problems? Ryan Conrad, CEO of the Realtors Association promises to re-potty train his troops. Conrad should be concerned about this nonsense that wasted the time of his realtors. I wonder if after the potty training, will the arena still be needed to transform Allentown?
Wow $25,000 of tax-payer money wasted for a one day story.If a realtor took me to a property at 7th. and Chew I would flee.Who wants to live in downtown Allentown.Thanks again Mr. Jennings
ReplyDeleteHad to love the King of Allentown announcing that "Next time their will be a federal lawsuit", over this "sting".
ReplyDeleteSorry mayor, the lawsuit needed is to stop the NIZ. How about denied funds for healthcare? The smoke tax being diverted to the Palace of Sport that was developed for healthcare...you know "Big Tobacco", evil evil big tobacco funds are OK to be hijacked for a project private investors wouldn't touch with a 10' pole.
Allentown continues its sink into oblivion.
It's a waste of taxpayer money unless you've been discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand your disdain for Jennings, don't allow your feelings to overshadow a discriminatory and disturbing act.
my guess is realtors are sending potential buyers to neighborhoods they can afford....regardless of race. In this real estate market one doesn't work against the client. With the elimination of red lining came the destruction of our cities.
ReplyDelete@9:56, i agree that in this market one doesn't work against the client, but supported the elimination of red lining. what hurt the cities were the foreclosures, caused by ill advised guidelines by HUD.
ReplyDeletethe only thing i believe for sure is that they spent $25,000. alan jennings had federal prosecutors indict and incarcerate people for predatory lending, so i doubt that any actual violator of the fair housing act got only a warning
You are way out of line. 33 realtors were tested via phone calls and appointments. Each realtor was touched by white and minority buyers with equal employment and credit history. The results could not have been more pronounced. Clearly there is a huge issue here that is a violation of FEDERAL Law. You lose all credibility attempting to justify it or by suggesting such behavior should not be investigated.
ReplyDeleteyou are simply regurgitating the newspaper story. why would realtors, who fully know the law, make potentially illegal statements on a blind phone call? I would guess that they were steered into the statements by push pull questions. play the tapes, lets hear the conversations. give us back our $25,000. sign your name.
ReplyDeleteThe realator man sits in as an administrative law judge in cases were his freind slumlords and property floppers have destroyed any integrety.
ReplyDeleteREDD
Are you kidding.
ReplyDeleteMoney talks.....
And no one is telling me where or when to purchase property.
If an agent brings me where I don't want to go I tell them where to go.
Once again the nanny state is in play. The article quotes the Mayor as saying this happened to them when he wanted to move into Old Allentown. Somehow they still ended up where they wanted, either by reiterating what they wanted or finding a different realtor.
ReplyDeleteApparently Jennings and Pawlowski don't believe that others are capable of taking those same simple steps.
THAT attitude shows an incredible bigotry.
The State should be complete charge of all matters of property "ownership", to speak nothing of redistribution.
ReplyDeleteOnly the State can be trusted to act with Malice towards none and apply Equality and Justice to all.
This country is finally addressing its guilty past and transforming to get in compliance with a more Progressive world, Comrade Molovinsky.
Keep up or get left behind.
VIKTOR TIKHONOV
this is certainly a contrived story, probably to justify another grant to Community Action. Although the Morning Call article quotes the NAACP president Dan Boskett, it doesn't mention (or know) that Boskett works for Jennings.
ReplyDelete"why would realtors, who fully know the law, make potentially illegal statements on a blind phone call?"
ReplyDeleteBecause the practice was rampant and the realtors were either negligently ignorant or believed no one would ever investigate the matter. The methodology used was sound and the results clearly prove there is a huge issue regarding this matter.
You wonder why people assign labels to you that are not accurate. You give them the ammo.
The price tag on this "study" is completely ridiculous, and a sample size of 33 is surely not scientific no matter what the cost. I am shocked that anyone wouldn't be outraged about this, including Jennings himself. Couldn't $25K have gone a long way towards helping the impoverished, rather than lining the pockets of the folks who made 22 phone calls and 11 visits?
ReplyDelete@10:58, one label i don't have is anonymous. if you comment again, please explain why a realtor would risk his license to steer a minority buyer away from a certain section of the city? why does the realtor care? i happen to be involved in the sale and rental of real estate, and do not believe that those results would come from an honest based test. i am not a member of the LVAR, but would deeply resent Conrad's statements if I were.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the "No-Labels" crowd when you really need them, Comrade Molovinsky?
ReplyDeleteThe State is your friend, CM. The State can always be trusted to be there in your hour of need. The State can even provide you with a championship ice hockey squad to cheer for if only you would consent to Government being allowed to spend enough money.
I refuse to give up on you, Comrade Molovinsky --- anyone can be rehabilitated.
V.T.
Whatever you think of the sting or anything else CACLV does, notice how Allen always gets the spotlight and the microphone.
ReplyDeleteApparently CACLV has no staff worthy of credit or mention.
Allen does it all himself. Super Man.
Coalition builder. Please,spare me.