8.3 Housing segregation and environmental racism

Housing segregation and environmental racism are critical issues in racial inequality. These practices have shaped American cities, concentrating poverty in communities of color and exposing them to environmental hazards. The effects are far-reaching, impacting wealth, health, and opportunity.

Discriminatory practices like redlining and steering have perpetuated segregation, while gentrification displaces long-time residents. Environmental racism further burdens these communities with pollutants and hazards, leading to health disparities. Understanding these interconnected issues is crucial for addressing systemic racial inequality.

Housing Discrimination Practices

Discriminatory Lending and Real Estate Practices

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• Redlining denies or limits financial services to specific neighborhoods, often based on racial composition, by banks, insurance companies, and other institutions
• Blockbusting exploits racial prejudice by persuading white property owners to sell their homes at a loss, claiming that people of color are moving into the neighborhood, then reselling those homes to black buyers at inflated prices
• Steering directs prospective home buyers towards or away from neighborhoods based on their race by real estate agents, limiting housing options for people of color
• The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability, but enforcement has been historically limited

Consequences of Housing Discrimination

• Housing discrimination practices have contributed to the creation and maintenance of segregated neighborhoods, concentrating poverty and limiting access to resources and opportunities for communities of color
• Discriminatory lending practices like redlining have made it difficult for people of color to obtain mortgages and become homeowners, a key means of building wealth and financial stability in the U.S.
• Steering and blockbusting have reinforced patterns of residential segregation, as people of color are directed towards certain neighborhoods and white residents are encouraged to leave when people of color move in
• Despite the Fair Housing Act's passage, housing discrimination persists in various forms, such as racial disparities in mortgage lending, housing quality, and access to affordable housing, perpetuating inequality

Gentrification and Urban Renewal

Definitions and Processes

• Gentrification occurs when higher-income individuals move into historically low-income, often communities of color, resulting in rising property values, rents, and cost of living
• Urban renewal refers to programs aimed at redeveloping and revitalizing urban areas, often involving the clearance of "blighted" neighborhoods and displacement of existing residents
• Displacement happens when existing residents, often low-income and people of color, are forced to move due to rising housing costs, evictions, or physical removal of housing units as a result of gentrification and urban renewal
• NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) describes opposition by residents to proposed developments in their neighborhoods, such as affordable housing or social services, often rooted in prejudice and fear of change

Impacts on Communities of Color

• Gentrification and urban renewal have disproportionately impacted communities of color, as these neighborhoods are often targeted for redevelopment due to their perceived "blight" and lower property values
• Rising housing costs and displacement pressure can lead to the loss of cultural and social networks, as well as increased homelessness and housing instability for low-income residents and people of color
• As neighborhoods gentrify, new amenities and services may cater to higher-income residents, while neglecting the needs of long-term, low-income residents, exacerbating inequality and exclusion
• NIMBY attitudes can perpetuate segregation and limit access to affordable housing and resources for marginalized communities, as more affluent residents use their political and social capital to oppose inclusive development

Environmental Racism

Definition and Examples

• Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate exposure of communities of color to pollutants, hazardous waste facilities, and other environmental harms, as well as the unequal enforcement of environmental regulations
• Toxic waste siting, the placement of hazardous waste facilities and polluting industries in or near communities of color, is a prime example of environmental racism (e.g., the Warren County PCB Landfill in North Carolina)
• Other examples include the Flint water crisis, where a predominantly black city was exposed to lead-contaminated water, and "Cancer Alley" in Louisiana, where petrochemical plants are concentrated in African American communities

Consequences and Resistance

• Environmental racism has severe health impacts on communities of color, including higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other illnesses linked to exposure to pollutants and toxins
• These communities often lack the political and economic power to resist the placement of environmental hazards, and may be targeted due to their perceived lack of resistance
• Environmental justice movements, led by communities of color, have emerged to challenge environmental racism and demand equal protection from environmental harms
• Strategies include community organizing, legal action, and advocacy for policies that prioritize environmental justice and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens