Redfin Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit
Redfin has agreed to pay out $4 million to settle a lawsuit brought against them by the National Fair Housing Alliance. According to ABC News, the fair housing advocates launched a lawsuit against the real estate brokerage, accusing them of discriminating against sellers and buyers of homes in communities of color by way of their minimum home price policy. Furthermore, it was argued that the policy helped to perpetuate racial segregation and the racial wealth gap. Per the settlement, Redfin has agreed to change the minimum price policy in addition to some of their other practices. The company will also seek to bolster the diversity of its workforce, market services towards non-white consumers, and require agents and partners to attend fair housing training.
Illinois Residents Receive Housing Reparations
16 Evanston, Illinois residents received $25k housing grants this week. According to Patch, the payments are a part of Evanston's reparations program for residents and ancestors of residents who lived in the city as adults prior to 1969. The program is tailored to address the effects of housing discrimination and redlining. In total, 122 residents were approved for the program, which offers $25k tax-free grants, which can be utilized towards home purchasing, mortgage payoff, or home improvement costs.
La La Anthony Speaks Candidly About Divorce
In a sit-down interview with Charlamagne The God for The Hollywood Reporter, La La Anthony discussed the obstacles she faced when making the decision to divorce Carmelo Anthony after being together since the NBA player was in his late teens. "I think that stepping away from that marriage was such an incredibly hard decision for me, but it made me realize there’s nothing I can’t do. Staying is easier. Walking away is harder," Anthony explained. "To step away from that and try to build my own life and still keep my sanity and keep things normal for my son who only knew his mom and his dad together—that wasn’t the easier decision, but I had to make a decision for myself. So now it’s like, 'wow, if I could do that, I could do anything.'"
Jhene Aiko Named Mental Health Ambassador for Los Angeles
Los Angeles recently dubbed May "Mental Health is Health" month and the city has tapped singer Jhené Aiko as an ambassador for the initiative, according to Complex. “When I started to write and do music, it was my personal therapy to help me get through things,” Aiko, who has been candid about her personal struggles with mental health, said at a ceremony held last Friday. “I didn’t know about therapy; I didn’t know a lot about mental illness or depression or anxiety. And I just found that turning my pain and suffering into some form of art, transforming it into art, really helped me get through it. It helped me to realize that the reason why I do what I do is to help others get through what they’re going through.”
