Steering involves directing home buyers or renters to or away from neighborhoods based on what characteristic?

• A. Race or ethnicity
• B. Income level
• C. Family size
• D. Education level

Answer: (A)

Steering is directing buyers or renters to or away from neighborhoods based on a protected characteristic. The most clear and emphatic protected characteristic in fair housing law is race or ethnicity, so steering on that basis is illegal and constitutes discrimination. It undermines equal access to housing and helps maintain segregation. While other factors like income or education aren’t protected classes under federal law, steering based on those factors is not the standard FHA violation; the emphasis here is on race or ethnicity as the basis for discriminatory steering.