A Hispanic couple asks you to find them a house to buy. You show them property only in neighborhoods occupied by predominantly Hispanic families. This is an example of

• A. Steering
• B. Blockbusting
• C. Redlining
• D. Panic peddling

Answer: (A)

Steering is directing homebuyers to or away from certain neighborhoods based on protected characteristics, such as race or national origin. Showing a Hispanic couple only properties in areas that are predominantly Hispanic is steering, because it limits their housing options based on ethnicity and promotes segregation. The Fair Housing Act prohibits this kind of discrimination and requires offering all qualified buyers a broad range of housing choices without regard to protected classes.

For context, the other terms describe different discriminatory practices: redlining involves denying or limiting financial services in a neighborhood due to its racial makeup; blockbusting and panic peddling involve exploiting fears about demographic changes to induce sales.