The New Face of Housing Discrimination In America? Survey of Community Groups to Reveal Widespread Problems Targeting Immigrants, Other Underserved Consumers

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Far from being a thing of the past, housing discrimination is all too alive and well in the United States, according to a major new Consumer Action online survey of more than 500 community-based organizations focusing on the needs of immigrants and other underserved consumers.

The Consumer Action survey results will be released during a national telenews event this Thursday, May 3rd.

WHO:

• Ken McEldowney, executive director, Consumer Action;
• Malika Alim, program manager, HomeownershipSF, San Francisco, CA; and
• Rachael Mak, deputy director, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, Philadelphia, PA.

WHAT:
A phone-based telenews conference (with full Q&A).

WHEN:
1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT.

WHERE:
Join the telenews event live at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT on May 3 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "housing discrimination survey" telenews event.  A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.consumer-action.org as of 5 p.m. EDT on May 3. 

WHY:
The new Consumer Action survey examines such factors as language barriers, available help (or the lack of it) for underserved consumers, and the extent to which "low tech" and "high tech" methods are used to discriminate against would-be renters and homebuyers.  The survey covers 550 consumer-based organizations, including hundreds that deal in a substantive fashion with housing discrimination issues.

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Consumer Action focuses on financial education that empowers low to moderate income and limited-English-speaking consumers to prosper financially. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.

SOURCE Consumer Action, Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA