Real estate agents and employment agencies are discriminating in Eindhoven. This is evident from surveys conducted by the municipality. The hospitality industry on Stratumseind, however, did pass the test.
Discrimination on the labour market and the housing market is the order of the day, according to surveys conducted in 2021 at the request of the Municipality of Eindhoven. Reports will only be discussed by the city council on Tuesday, 16 May, as part of the Municipality of Eindhoven’s diversity policy.
Earlier, the Municipality of Eindhoven drew attention to discrimination in the housing market. That alarmed many people, but the research from 2021 shows that there is indeed a lot of discrimination on the housing market.
For the study, so-called mystery guests having been making calls, inquiring about the possibility of renting out an apartment through several brokers in Eindhoven. The brokers were then asked whether it was possible to rent the apartment only to native Dutch people. The vast majority of the brokers agreed to this, despite it being prohibited by law.
Direct or indirect
Of the 28 brokers called, thirteen brokers agreed to the discriminatory request. Seven brokers offered to let the owner of the apartment make the decision himself, thus discriminating indirectly. Only four brokers indicated that they would not cooperate with the request. Of the brokers who did cooperate, some 40 per cent were aware that such a thing is prohibited.
Expats
The brokers who did not discriminate, by the way, didn’t do that so much from a human perspective, but from an economic one. The brokers are afraid that the large group of well-paid expats in the region cannot be recruited as clients.
Thereby, brokers also have a preference for Western expats, for example from the US or Brazil, while Indians, Chinese but also Poles are less popular. However, there is no discrimination on gender or sexual orientation, the researchers contend.
Temporary employment industry
In addition to real estate agents, employment agencies are also not averse to discrimination, according to another survey commissioned by the municipality in 2021. On discriminatory requests that explicitly asked for an employee of a certain ethnicity, 32 per cent of the employment agencies found that to be negotiable. The reason for the request by the ‘company’ was asked in 36 per cent of cases, while in only 28 per cent of cases the employment agency made it clear that such a request was prohibited because it was discriminatory.
Stratumseind
Those who did come out well in a discrimination survey were the catering establishments on Stratumseind. The survey took place at the beginning of this year. Eight different groups, with different genders and ethnicities, tested the door policy at the Eindhoven nightlife street. None of the groups experienced any discrimination at the door of the establishments that were visited.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
