A Black Republican lawmaker in the Ohio House has proposed a bill to prevent housing discrimination, stemming from his personal experience of being rejected from getting a home.
In an exclusive interview about his experience, state Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) told WEWS/OCJ about why battling redlining is a priority for him.
Readers have raised the issue of redlining for decades — which is the discriminatory practice meant to prevent minority groups from buying property or getting loans in certain areas.
Williams was finishing up law school in 2018. He and his family thought they found the perfect home in the Northwest Ohio town of Maumee. That is, until he showed up to tour the house in person.
“The homeowner wouldn’t even shake my hand,” Williams, a criminal defense attorney, said, reflecting. “It just gave an uneasy feeling.”
He still put in an offer, thousands of dollars more than the asking price, he said. He submitted four different pre-approval letters — three from banks and one from a local credit union.
But the homeowner sold to a white couple offering the asking price, significantly less than Williams’ offer, he added.
“The seller said they felt more comfortable that the other couple would be able to secure financing,” the lawmaker said.
It’s hard for him to believe, as a Black man trying to buy in a predominately white community, that race didn’t play into this rejection.
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Article URL : https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/03/04/black-ohio-gop-lawmaker-proposes-anti-redlining-bill-after-being-denied-home-sale/