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Guiding Question

In what ways does the quality and affordability of housing impact Black and White families?

Key Definitions & Article Summaries

Redlining

The denial of home loans within a specific geographic area aimed at a population of people in favor of another (Cohen, 2024 p. 93).

Residential Segregation

Where at least two racial groups live separately from each other, often caused by state/institutional policies that directly influence their interactions. (Cohen, 2024 p. 93)

Article 1: Racial Disparity in Housing Cost Burden (1980–2017)

Hess, C., Colburn, G., Crowder, K., & Allen, R. (2023). This article focuses on the racial gap between Black and White families with housing affordability from 1980–2017. A steady decline between Black and White households is seen until 2007, where the gap began to widen through the remaining research period.

Article 2: Housing Conditions & Racial Wealth/Health Disparities

Neal, M., Zinn, A., & Zhu, L. (2024). This article examines the quality of housing and its influence on wealth across Black and White households, with a third aspect briefly detailing the health implications associated with living in differing housing conditions across these racial lines.

Conflict Theory

In the context of housing across race, conflict theory encompasses the historical struggle of Black families with getting equitable housing opportunities relative to White families — from government policies that gatekept Black homeownership to compounded opportunity costs persisting today (Cohen, 2024, p. 18).

Media: TED-ED Video

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ngelr9h2jM

This TED-ED video provides an overview of racial housing practices into the mid 20th century, with emphasis on racial covenants restricting nonwhite homeownership. It further explains the disparity behind Black home ownership and wealth compared to White families, along with the persisted issue of residential segregation after 1968's Fair Housing Act.

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