History Matters
Public housing has often been in areas where mostly Black people live and where incomes are lower. [] Part of the reason for this goes back to the 1950s. During that time, there were programs that helped low-income white residents get loans to buy homes in the suburbs. Meanwhile, low-income Black residents were often directed towards public housing in city areas. [] The public housing sites tend to be in historically less desirable areas that also had more exposure to harmful things like toxins.
[H30] U.S. Housing Market Conditions Summary. (1995). U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. https://www.huduser.gov/periodicals/ushmc/spring95/spring95.html
[H31] Gross, T. (2017). A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How the U.S. Government Segregated America. National Public Radio: Fresh Air. https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america