The hearings, chaired by former HUD Secretaries Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros, will explore:

• The persistence of discrimination and segregation.
• The impact of segregation on our communities and on education, and the benefits of integrated neighborhoods.
• Federal fair housing enforcement mechanisms.
• Enforcement by state and local governments and in the private sector, including individuals and neighborhood organizations and private, non-profit fair housing centers.
• Strategies to break down residential segregation and provide households isolated in segregated areas the opportunity to find integrative alternatives.
• The shortage of affordable housing and strategies to increase the stock of affordable housing.

The first hearing was held in Chicago, on July 15.  The other hearings will be held in Los Angeles on September 9, Boston on September 22 and Atlanta on October 17.  The Houston field hearing will be held on July 31 in conjunction with the annual conference of the National Bar Association. It will focus on housing discrimination and re-segregation on the Gulf Coast since the hurricanes. 

The hearings will culminate with the release of a report put out by the sponsoring organizations.

For more on the Commission, click here.