France: discrimination in housing persists despite compulsory training
One in two real estate agencies accept landlords' demands not to rent their homes to blacks or Arabs, according to SOS Racisme.
(illustrative image) AFP PHOTO PHILIPPE HUGUEN
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
One in two real estate agencies accept landlords' demands not to rent their homes to blacks or Arabs.
This is what emerges from a recent testing campaign conducted by SOS Racisme.
However, in 2019, the association was already highlighting this discrimination in access to housing in Île-de-France.
Nothing has changed.
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This new campaign, which concerns the whole territory, shows that, three years later, discriminatory practices persist despite compulsory training.
“
First, we can think that the trainings were put in place recently, so it also takes time for them to produce their effects,
nuance Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racisme.
But beyond that, I think the problem is that this training should be extended to all people who work in the real estate sector.
And then we could expect presidential candidates to put the subject of equality at the center of their speech.
Because discrimination is a denial of equality.
»
On the professional side, there is certainly a lack of training, but not only.
“
For its part, the government has not done everything,
points out Jean-Marc Torrollion, president of the FNAIM, the main union of real estate professionals.
It lacks a control commission and then on certain types of collaborators, it was envisaged a regulation particularly, a compulsory training taken by decree which contained a shutter against discrimination and which was not taken.
So there is an organization of the profession to improve and on our side, a massification of training against discrimination.
»
In France, perpetrators of rental discrimination face up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros.
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