You’re reading the bi-monthly email with NEW EPISODES from the podcast that shows you how to use questions to build more inclusive communities, What Do You Mean By That? Today’s new episode is: Redlining Explained: History, Housing Discrimination & the Latest Policy Updates
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Sometimes, despite the headlines, it can feel like national politics don’t impact our daily lives.
But then there are policies that not only impact our lives, but impact them for decades. And hurt our country’s most vulnerable people the most.
Redlining is one of those policies.
We mean the literal red lines drawn on maps in the 1930s to keep Black and immigrant families out of the mortgage market.
If you’ve ever driven around a city and wondered why some areas have lush green trees, for example, and others have loads more concrete, you may be seeing the impact.
We released an episode back in 2019 talking about how the legacy of redlining still shapes segregation and the racial wealth gap today. We’re including that full episode, edited slightly for context, today.
But what we didn't fully appreciate back in 2019 is that it wasn't just a history lesson; rather, it was actually the opening scene.
Because a lot happened policy-wise, right after we recorded that episode, that set the stage for so many things happening in this second Trump administration.
And these things directly impacts something that we care a LOT about: community, neighborhoods, and who gets to belong.
Tune in to listen to:
What redlining was, historically, and how it continues to impact our neighborhoods today
Predatory lending practices that harm all of us
The problems with gentrification
The fight over “disparate impact” (i.e. showing that discrimination exists is enough, and you don’t need to prove intent to discriminate) and its impact on equality
We’re heading into an election that may determine just how disparate impact can be tested by this administration, depending on who heads these organizations and how much they’ll bow down to Trump.
—> We have the chance to make sure those in office know that fair housing, and equitable housing, is a priority across the board.
If you care about your community, listen in and share this episode.
