Race and Housing

Why race and housing?

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has a core value of Equity and Inclusion which states: “We promote racial equity and strive to increase diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency in all aspects of our organization.”

To promote racial equity, we need to reckon with the fact that Minnesota has some of the widest racial disparities in the nation—in education, health, economics, criminal justice, and especially housing. And all of them can be tied back to discriminatory housing practices used throughout the 20th century. In other words, our disparities didn't come about by accident. Racist policies created them. We need to be as intentional in closing those disparities as we were in creating them.

This is also clear: The systemic racism that created the disparities between Black and White families in Minnesota is the same systemic racism that killed George Floyd. Read our response to the uprisings for racial justice and learn about organizations working toward racial equity in our community.

A first step is to learn from the history:

How were racist policies created?
If the policies were ended, why did racial disparities persist?
And what stories of resistance can we uplift and learn from?

The blog series below explores that history—from long ago to today, and from a national to local perspective. We also link to other resources for learning, as well as actions you can take.

Together, we can ensure everyone can share in the prosperity of the Twin Cities.

Race and Housing Blog Series

Reflections on a year at Habitat

Chris Coleman, President & CEO of Twin Cities Habitat, reflects on the painful history of racism in housing. He shows how ending these racial disparities is a critical part of Habitat's work.

Government's Role in Housing Segregation

From New Deal policies to redlining, the government either cemented segregation where it existed or created segregation where it didn't yet exist—including in the Twin Cities.

The GI Bill

The greatest expansion of homeownership in the U.S. came with the GI Bill after WWII. But African Americans who served in the war were mostly locked out of those opportunities.

Racial Covenants

Dr. Kirsten Delegard of the Mapping Prejudice Project explains how tens of thousands of racial covenants explicitly prevented people of color from buying homes in many Twin Cities neighborhoods.

Redlining and Resistance

Dr. Brittany Lewis shares stories of how local leaders chose to concentrate poverty and disinvest in communities of color—and how the community organized and fought back.

Rondo and I-94

When I-94 was built, it ripped the heart out of Rondo, St. Paul's largest Black neighborhood. Local leader Nick Khaliq shares what it was like growing up in Rondo and the lasting impacts of I-94.

Community Reinvestment Act

The CRA was enacted in 1977 to reverse the effects of redlining. It continues to benefit low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, but proposed changes threaten its value. Read our stance.

Mortgage Interest Deduction

The Home Mortgage Interest Deduction is the largest housing subsidy in the U.S. and its benefits flow disproportionately to wealthier families. Learn how this tax benefit upholds the racial wealth gap and read about proposed alternatives.

President Johnson signing Fair Housing Act in 1968- Walter Mondale looks (above to the right)

Fair Housing Act Part 1 (1968-2015)

The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 and immediately divided leaders on how it should be enforced. Racial segregation and disparities continue to plague our communities.

Fair Housing Act Part 2 (2016-2020)

The Fair Housing Act has lost more of its power with the end of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and changes to the handling of disparate impact.

More coming soon

As we continue to publish blogs on this topic, we'll add more to this page. Be sure to subscribe to our blog at the form below to see the latest topics.

Why is Habitat part of the solution?

Many Americans get help buying their first home. In fact, nearly one-third of first-time homebuyers get gifts from family or friends to help with their down payment, and White homebuyers are twice as likely as Black homebuyers to get family help for a down payment (source: Shapiro, Thomas M. Toxic Inequality, 2017).

Habitat for Humanity provides that boost for first-time homebuyers. This lays the foundation for better health and education outcomes, higher quality of life, and generations of wealth building.

At Twin Cities Habitat, we know we need to do better, and continually strive for racial equity in all aspects of our work. Here are just a few of the ways our staff and board are taking action now:

Learn from and share the history as we develop the Race & Housing Blog Series.
Amplify the movement for racial equity, including at our Women of Habitat Virtual Luncheon in October 2020.
Hire an Equity and Inclusion Director and commit to continuing and expanding our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work with staff, board, and leadership.
Thoroughly examine our internal practices and policies to better meet the needs of the African American community, including clients, supporters, staff, and community partners.

You can expect more updates from us on these and other initiatives.

Take Action

We'll continue to add action steps as we learn more throughout the Race and Housing blog series. Here are a few ways you can take action now:

Support and learn from the Movement for Black Lives, including organizations on the ground working for racial justice and BIPOC-led organizations and businesses. Here's a detailed list compiled by local organizations Black Visions Collective and Reclaim the Block.
Advocate for better housing policies at the local, state, and federal levels. Sign up for Advocacy Action Alerts.
Learn and share the history of this topic (blogs above and resources below), and follow our Race & Housing blog series.
Donate to create more Habitat homeownership opportunities.
Reach out to friends, family, and neighbors and have conversations about this history and the racism that still pervades our society, and help one another take action to build the equitable community we want to see.

Learn more

Check out these additional resources for a deeper dive into the topics above.

Books

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Voices of Rondo: Oral Histories of Saint Paul’s Historic Black Community as told by Kate Cavett
The Days of Rondo by Evelyn Fairbanks
Diesel Heart: An Autobiography by Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr.
Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide, and Threatens Our Future by Thomas M. Shapiro

Videos

Watch this short video from National Public Radio called "Housing Segregation and Redlining in America: A Short History." In under seven minutes, the video breaks down how discrimination in housing policy had rippled into so many areas of life, especially in cities. Warning: there is one instance of profanity in the first few seconds.

More excellent videos you should check out:

Jim Crow of the North by TPT
Race - The Power of an Illusion by PBS
Shelley v. Kramer: landmark civil rights case over the restrictions of property ownership due to race by Nine Network
Rondo: Beyond the Pavement documentary by Saint Paul Almanac in partnership with St. Paul Neighborhood Network and High School for Recording Arts

Race and Housing

Race and Housing

Why race and housing?

Race and Housing Blog Series

Reflections on a year at Habitat

Government's Role in Housing Segregation

The GI Bill

Racial Covenants

Redlining and Resistance

Rondo and I-94

Community Reinvestment Act

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Fair Housing Act Part 1 (1968-2015)

Fair Housing Act Part 2 (2016-2020)

More coming soon

Why is Habitat part of the solution?

Take Action

Learn more

Books

Videos

Local Organizations

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