What is an example of steering in housing?

Steering in housing refers to the practice of guiding prospective renters or buyers to certain neighborhoods or properties based on their personal characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, age, or family status. This practice is discriminatory and violates fair housing laws, which aim to ensure that individuals have equal access to housing opportunities regardless of these characteristics.

When a housing agent restricts someone’s choices and suggests that they should live in a particular area due to their personal characteristics, they are not allowing the individual to explore all available options. This results in a form of segregation and reinforces systemic inequalities within housing markets. Therefore, the example of steering is accurately represented by indicating that someone’s choices are being limited based on their characteristics, illustrating a clear breach of the fair housing principles that underlie ethical real estate practices.