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Burlington Self-Survey on Human Relations: Final report, 1950

Page 83

83

pressure from the Negro community for the better housing of the city, such instruments apparently are not essential as a tool for exclusion. One firm explained that restrictive covenants were used primarily for financial reasons. to "solidify the price picture in the sale of new developments. "
   The uniform character of the real estate practices of these firms is restrictive, as regards rentals, sales and financing for Negroes. They are restrictive in the sense that rental, sales and financing services will be extended to Negroes only for properties located in areas now inhibited by them. Only one of the thirteen firms reported a policy of unrestricted services, that is, a willingness to extend sales and financing services to Negro clients in any area of the city, provided that the clients are of the same social and economic class as other persons presently living in the area. 
   The justification of these practices is also rather uniformly in terms of segregation as a desired pattern of residency for the city. In one instance, a firm quoted from Article 34 of the "Real Estate Primer," saying: "A Realtor should never be instrumental in introducing into a neighborhood a character of property or occupancy, numbers of any race or nationality, or any individual whose presence will clearly be detrimental to property values in the neighborhood." The National Association of Real Estate Boards has now deleted from the article all references to race and nationality. Some of the comments given by the respondents are revealing. 
   In explaining the basis of their practices or proposing possible solutions to the Negro housing problem, some of the other replies said;

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83 pressure from the Negro community for the better housing of the city, such instruments apparently are not essential as a tool for exclusion. One firm explained that restrictive covenants were used primarily for financial reasons. to "solidify the price picture in the sale of new developments. " The uniform character of the real estate practices of these firms is restrictive, as regards rentals, sales and financing for Negroes. They are restrictive in the sense that rental, sales and financing services will be extended to Negroes only for properties located in areas now inhibited by them. Only one of the thirteen firms reported a policy of unrestricted services, that is, a willingness to extend sales and financing services to Negro clients in any area of the city, provided that the clients are of the same social and economic class as other persons presently living in the area. The justification of these practices is also rather uniformly in terms of segregation as a desired pattern of residency for the city. In one instance, a firm quoted from Article 34 of the "Real Estate Primer," saying: "A Realtor should never be instrumental in introducing into a neighborhood a character of property or occupancy, numbers of any race or nationality, or any individual whose presence will clearly be detrimental to property values in the neighborhood." The National Association of Real Estate Boards has now deleted from the article all references to race and nationality. Some of the comments given by the respondents are revealing. In explaining the basis of their practices or proposing possible solutions to the Negro housing problem, some of the other replies said;