美国国家公共电台 NPR--D.C. AG reaches $10 million settlement with firms in housing discrimination suit

D.C. AG reaches $10 million settlement with firms in housing discrimination suit

Transcript¹

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Three real estate firms based in the wealthiest parts of the nation's capital and some of their executives will have to pay a landmark² $10 million settlement to the city for blocking families with lower incomes from their buildings. The firms are also banned from managing property in D.C. because they're accused of discriminating³ against renters who use Section 8 vouchers⁵ and other forms of housing assistance. Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine says it's the largest civil penalty in a housing discrimination case in U.S. history. And he said that when he announced it yesterday. And he joins us now. Good morning, and welcome to the program.

KARL RACINE: Good morning, Leila. It's a pleasure to be here.

FADEL: So, Attorney General, this settlement is historic because of the price tag, but it also sends a message, right? What is the larger message your office and this penalty sends to real estate firms operating in D.C.?

RACINE: The larger and clear message is, all real estate firms, all landlords, all management companies in the District of Columbia must accept anyone in the District of Columbia who has a housing voucher⁴. The reason why housing vouchers are so important is because the skyrocketing cost of rent. We know that even when people work one, two and three jobs, they still can't make ends meet in terms of paying rent in the District of Columbia. These vouchers, which support people who already pay 30% of their income for rent, are necessary. And if you don't accept them, the Office of Attorney General is going to investigate and issue significant penalties.

FADEL: Now, you've compared landlords breaking the law, refusing to accept these vouchers to Jim Crow-era housing discrimination policies. If you could expand on this type of discrimination and what it does in a city like D.C. that's dealing⁶ with these high levels of gentrification and displacement⁷ of longtime Black and brown residents.

RACINE: Sure. My comments about the Jim Crow-era discrimination relate to the demographics of the District of Columbia. And indeed, what we found is that 95% of voucher holders⁸ in D.C. are Black. Seventy-nine percent are women. Thirty-two percent are single mothers. Sixty-six percent make less than $20,000 a year. And so because the overwhelming majority of people - 95% - are Black, those folks who discriminate⁹ against voucher holders are essentially¹⁰ committing racial discrimination and are barring Blacks from renting. I want to say another point, broadly, more nationally. Where the demographics are not as they are in the District of Columbia - let's just think of rural white America...

FADEL: Yeah.

RACINE: ...Voucher holders are overwhelmingly white. Only 19 states have laws like the District of Columbia which make it discriminatory to deny voucher holders. That means in rural areas where they're overwhelming white folks, they, too, are likely being discriminated¹¹ against. So don't mess - don't get confused about race. Think about poverty. Think about the working poor. Think about what's right. And what's right is to allow people to pay rent, even if they're getting support from the government.

FADEL: In the few seconds we have left, do you want other cities to follow suit in what you did?

RACINE: Yes. It's incredibly necessary. And as you know, discriminate (ph) is not easy to detect. In our case, we had a whistleblower who stood up in the face of being called names and being accused of fraud. And she told us the truth. The email that's...

FADEL: Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine. Thank you so much for your time.

RACINE: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF YUSSEF DAYES AND ALFA MIST'S "LOVE IS THE MESSAGE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 discriminating   

a.有辨别能力的

参考例句：

• Due caution should be exercised in discriminating between the two. 在区别这两者时应该相当谨慎。
• Many businesses are accused of discriminating against women. 许多企业被控有歧视妇女的做法。

4 voucher   

n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证

参考例句：

• The government should run a voucher system.政府应该施行凭证制度。
• Whenever cash is paid out,a voucher or receipt should be obtained.无论何时只要支付现金，就必须要有一张凭据或者收据。

5 vouchers   

n.凭证( voucher的名词复数 )；证人；证件；收据

参考例句：

• These vouchers are redeemable against any future purchase. 这些优惠券将来购物均可使用。
• This time we were given free vouchers to spend the night in a nearby hotel. 这一次我们得到了在附近一家旅馆入住的免费券。 来自英语晨读30分（高二）

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

8 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

9 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？