Plan to Combat Bias in Housing Presented by A. D. L. to U.S. Body

Declaring that discrimination in housing is “the most persistent and unyielding expression of prejudice facing American Jews today, and probably the most damaging,” a leader of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith presented today a seven-point program to the Federal Commission on Civil Rights to combat discriminatory practices in housing. (See testimony of American Jewish Congress on page 4.)

Testifying before the Commission, Eugene Sugarman, chairman of the New York advisory board of the ADL, stressed the vital role of government in both public and private housing and urged on behalf of the ADL that these measures be taken by Federal and local government:

1. Federal housing agencies should set down explicit requirements from Federally-aided builders that would bind them not to practice discrimination; 2. These agencies should make it clearly understood that Federal aid will be denied to localities which persist in the practice of discrimination; 3. Every piece of Federal legislation dealing with a Federal housing program should include, ideally, a provision reasserting that the constitutional requirement of equal treatment under the law will be observed.

4. Every state law creating a program of publicly assisted housing should contain a provision barring discrimination by all participants and beneficiaries of the program; 5. A provision should also be included in such state laws barring discrimination by financial institutions in the granting of loans on housing covered by those laws; 6. Legislation should be enacted in every state barring discrimination and segregation in private housing; and 7. Other cities should follow the lead taken by New York and Pittsburgh in adopting ordinances barring discrimination in private housing.