What follows is the introduction section of the full report. You can download the entire report at the end of the summary.
Despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act fifty-seven years ago, housing discrimination and
segregation remain prevalent in Northeast Ohio and most of the country. Segregation, redlining, and
persistent forms of racialized wealth inequality continue to contribute to financial, health, educational,
and other socio-economic disparities between people of color and their white counterparts in Northeast
Ohio. The lasting financial, economic, socio-emotional, and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
have exacerbated these disparities and shaped housing outcomes in the region. All the while, the first
quarter of 2025 has been a time of great uncertainty and instability in the field of fair housing due to
rapidly changing federal policies and government actions. These changes have already significantly
impacted the operations of fair housing organizations, like The Fair Housing Center, and eroded public
confidence in the protections afforded by fair housing and other civil rights laws.
This report is the Fair Housing Center’s nineteenth annual comprehensive examination of fair housing
trends for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina Counties. Fifty-seven years after the
passage of the Fair Housing Act housing discrimination remains widespread and on the rise in Northeast
Ohio; segregation continues to shape housing and socio-economic outcomes in the region; and
vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by housing instability and rapidly growing
housing cost burdens.
Download the complete report (PDF file)
View previous reports here.