The essay Future Directions for Research argues that the results of the HDS-Families pilot study—and those of the most recent national paired-testing study of discrimination against minority homeseekers—suggest that protected classes of homeseekers are no longer blatantly denied access to available housing. Many fair housing advocates and practitioners suggest that discrimination today may take different forms or may occur at different stages in the homeseeking process. If so, effectively measuring the incidence of discrimination in 21st century housing markets may require alternative research strategies. This essay discusses possible adaptations to paired-testing study design; an analysis of local occupancy standards and how they are applied by housing providers; exploratory analyses of discrimination at later stages of renting; interviews of housing providers to understand their knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and a large-scale survey of renters.

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