TRENTON – This afternoon, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way signed into law A2280/S1311, legislation to combat racial discrimination in home appraisals and require real estate appraisers to complete anti-bias training. On the bill signing, Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network) and Diane Yentel, president and chief executive officer of the National Low Income Housing Coalition delivered the following statements:

“We applaud Governor Murphy and our legislative champions for taking meaningful steps to close NJ’s racial wealth gap,” said Berger. “The Network, its members, and our broader housing coalition have long worked on and advocated for this legislation to help mitigate and redress systemic and institutional racism, which prevents Black and Brown families from achieving the full benefits of homeownership, including growing and passing on generational wealth. Home appraisal discrimination is a threat to our neighbors, neighborhoods, and our economy. Ending this practice creates pathways to make sure we HouseNJ, so everybody can benefit from homeownership.”

“While the Fair Housing Act of 1968 bars discrimination in the housing market, racist and discriminatory practices continue in all corners of the housing market – from home appraisals to rental screenings to evictions – perpetuating today’s segregated neighborhoods and contributing to deep racial and social inequities,” said Yentel. “I applaud the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey and other advocates for working tirelessly to advance this important legislation, and I thank New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and state lawmakers for helping to bring the state one step closer to achieving housing justice and racial equity.”

Homeownership is the single largest mechanism by which families may create and maintain wealth. According to the NJ Institute for Social Justice, this kind of discrimination in housing contributes directly to New Jersey’s huge racial wealth gap: a $300,000 disparity in the median wealth between Black and white households.

Today’s bill signing is the culmination of advocacy efforts by Network members and the hard work of our many allies, especially the NJ Institute for Social Justice, Fair Share Housing Center, and NJ Citizen Action. The Network thanks and congratulates our partners, the legislative sponsors and leaders who enacted this bill, as well as Lt. Gov. Way and the Murphy Administration, which has taken regulatory action to address racial bias in housing appraisals through the Office of the Attorney General.

About the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
The Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey is the statewide association of more than 275 community development corporations, individuals and other organizations that support the creation of affordable homes, economic opportunities, and strong communities. For more information on the Network, visit www.hcdnnj.org.