12.8: Vocabulary Terms - Module 12

Term	Definition / Website
Affinity bias / Similarity bias	Tendency to favor people who share similar characteristics, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs to oneself.
Anti-Discrimination	Policies, laws, and actions designed to prevent and address unfair treatment of individuals based on specific characteristics such as race, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected attributes.
Affordable housing	Reasonably priced residential units affordable to individuals and families with low to moderate incomes.
Bias	Tendency to favor or lean towards a particular perspective, idea, or group, often in an unfair or prejudiced manner. It can influence decisions, judgments, and behaviors, leading to partiality and unequal treatment.
Blockbusting	A practice of spreading rumors about property values decreasing due to another race moving in.
Citizenship	Status of being a legally recognized member of a state or country, entailing specific rights, duties, and privileges.
Civil rights	Fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to all individuals by law, aimed at ensuring equal treatment and protection under the law.
Confirmation bias	Tendency to seek out, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or opinions, while ignoring or discounting evidence that contradicts them.
Covenant	Formal agreement or promise between two or more parties, often legally binding, in which the parties commit to certain actions or obligations.
Defendant	An individual, company, or institution being sued or accused in a court of law who defends themselves against allegations in legal proceedings.
Disability	A physical, sensory, cognitive, or mental condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, learning, or working.
Discrimination	Unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals or groups based on certain characteristics such as race, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or nationality. It can manifest in various forms, including unequal opportunities, harassment, exclusion, or differential treatment, and it is often rooted in stereotypes, bias, or systemic inequalities.
Discriminatory restrictive covenants	Clauses in legal agreements, typically property deeds or contracts, that impose limitations or conditions on the use or occupancy of land or property based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
Explicit or Conscious bias	Biases that are intentionally held and consciously acknowledged by an individual offender.
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)	1974 law intended to prevent redlining, provide better financial protection to women, and prevent lenders from pushing subprime mortgages.
Familial Status	The presence of children in a household, pregnant women, or people adopting or securing legal custody of children. In housing and employment contexts, discrimination based on familial status is illegal (unlawful to treat individuals unfavorably because they have children or are pregnant).
Housing discrimination	Unfair treatment of individuals or groups in the housing market based on certain characteristics such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
Implicit or Unconscious bias	Subtle attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes that affect an individual’s understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner, wherein the offender may not purposely have the intention to offend.
Marital Status	The state of a person’s marriage or lack of marriage. Marital status may include single, married, divorced, widowed, legally separated, or domestic partnership.
Microaggression	Discriminatory comments that undermine another person’s identity, whether intentional or not.
National Origin / Ancestry	Refers to an individual or their family’s birthplace, ethnicity, ancestry, culture, or language.
Non-Protected Class	A group of individuals not covered by anti-discrimination laws or regulations that protect certain characteristics such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or other specified factors.
Panic Peddling	The practice of exploiting public fear or anxiety, often through exaggerated or sensationalized claims, to sell real estate.
Plaintiff	An individual or entity who files a lawsuit against another party (the defendant) in a court of law.
Prejudice	Negative preconceived opinions or attitudes held towards individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or social class.
Protected classes	A group of people who are legally safeguarded against discrimination based on certain characteristics such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or other specified factors.
Racially biased zoning	Geographic area where racial discrimination or bias is prevalent or systematically enforced, often resulting in unequal treatment or opportunities for individuals based on their race or ethnicity.
Redlining	Discriminatory practice in which banks or mortgage lenders systematically deny or limit financial services to certain neighborhoods based on their racial or ethnic composition.
RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act)	Federal law governing the real estate settlement process, designed to protect homebuyers by ensuring they receive important information about the costs of the mortgage settlement and closing process to prevent unfair or deceptive practices in real estate transactions.
Restrictive covenants	Contractual agreements in property deeds or contracts that impose limitations or conditions on the use, development, or sale of property.
Sexual Orientation	A person's emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to individuals of the same gender or opposite gender.
State Regulations	Rules, standards, or laws enacted by state governments to govern various aspects of public and private activities within their jurisdiction.
Steering	Directing a prospective buyer to a specific neighborhood or community based on the buyer’s protected class.
Stereotypes	Oversimplified, generalized beliefs or assumptions about individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, religion, or nationality. These beliefs often reflect societal biases or cultural norms and can lead to inaccurate perceptions, prejudice, and discrimination.
Systemic or institutional bias	Patterns of unfair treatment or discrimination embedded within the policies, practices, and structures of societal institutions.
Undocumented immigrants	Individuals who reside in a country without legal authorization or documentation, such as visas or residency permits.
Unruh Civil Rights Act	California state law prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, religion, age, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in business establishments and housing accommodations.