The Invisible Lines That Still Divide Us: How Yesterday's Housing Policies Shape Today's Communities
Housing in America isn't just about buildings—it's a profound story of deliberate exclusion, systemic barriers, and generational theft. Behind every seemingly neutral policy lies a troubling history: redlining that strangled Black neighborhoods, gentrification that erased community roots, discriminatory lending that locked families out of the American dream.
Imagine generations of families systematically denied the most fundamental pathway to wealth. Racial covenants that literally wrote exclusion into property deeds. Appraisers who would devalue homes simply because Black families lived there. Federal projects that demolished thriving communities under the guise of "development." These weren't accidents—they were calculated strategies designed to concentrate wealth and opportunity in white communities.
Behind every seemingly neutral policy lies a troubling history:
Redlining that strangled Black neighborhoods
Gentrification that erased community roots
Discriminatory lending that locked families out of the American dream.
Imagine
Generations of families systematically denied the most fundamental pathway to wealth.
Racial covenants that literally wrote exclusion into property deeds.
Appraisers who would devalue homes simply because Black families lived there.
Federal projects that demolished thriving communities under the guise of "development."
The True Cost of Exclusion - The numbers tell the story:
Black homeownership rates remain at just 44% compared to 74% for white households.
The typical white family has eight times the wealth of the typical Black family Between 1934-1962, 98% of FHA loans went to white Americans *
Communities of color lost over $1 trillion in wealth due to the 2008 housing crisis
At the end of April, we’ll look at current housing policies and community-led solutions that address these historical injustices and what one of our Impact Partners is doing to make a meaningful difference in housing one family at a time.
Further Learning
If you have 5 minutes, read this article from Habitat from Humanity about historic housing discrimination in the U.S. and what the organization is doing to address this inequality around the country
If you have 20 minutes, watch Segregated by Design, which brilliantly and succinctly pares down Richard Rothstein’s seminal work, The Color of Law, into a 17-minute, beautifully illustrated short film about the history of housing discrimination in the United States. When you’re finished, share the video with one friend, along with an invitation for coffee
If you have 35 minutes, watch one of The Flourish Collective’s Table Talk series on Where does racism exist in Housing?: A Primer and explore our resources for further learning and action
What conversations about housing equity are missing in your local community discussions? How might we better engage people who aren't already familiar with this history? Share your comments with us!
