I am curious about the role federal policy played in this through home loan programs that redlined neighborhoods. I watched an interesting documentary series on the history of New York City and much was made of how blacks in the city went from being the most integrated population into every neighborhood in the city of any racial or ethnic group to being one of the most segregated as a result of redlining that came down as policy from the federal level. The documentary also stated that banks abandonment of predominantly minority parts of the city followed this policy. When an area had minority residents the federal program policy required that federally secured loans only be made to members of that minority to purchase properties in that neighborhood. This resulted in a decline in property values and eventually inocmes leading to such striking pictures of urban decay as that of the burning Bronx of the late 60's and 70's.
This also negatively impacted historically black neighborhoods in the city by decreasing property values in those neighborhoods and wealth of community by limiting who an individual could sell their property. This is part of the story of the decline of Harlem for example. I imagine that the same federal policies held forth here and helped create the segregation and concentrations of poverty we see today in parts of our city. It also helps explain why some parts of the city have faired worse overtime in upkeep of their properties and community fabric as federal redlining, discrimination, segregation and banks and other businesses not investing in neighborhoods to the same extent as those without minority populations all worked together against the interests of these areas of our community. David Strand Loring Park __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
