In a time of rising inequality, it's fitting that this month's resources roundup features two studies of disparate housing impacts on whites versus people of color. One finds that housing discrimination has declined over time, but persists in subtle yet impactful ways. Another finds that Minnesota households in areas with higher concentrations of people of color lost nearly three times more wealth per household than those in segregated white communities in 2012. Other resources reveal a surprising correlation between evictions and children, the concerns of rural Minnesotans, housing unaffordability for those with disabilities, and a linkage between high home rates and unemployment down the line.
Housing Discrimination against Racial and Ethnic Minorities
The latest HUD study shows that while blatant discrimination by realtors and landlords is on the decline, subtle forms of discrimination against people of color persist. Minority and white home-seekers were equally able to make appointments to see apartments or homes. However, while meeting with landlords or realtors, testers of color were told about fewer available housing units than equally qualified white testers.
Wasted Wealth: How the Wall Street Crash Continues to Stall Economic Recovery and Deepen Racial Inequity in America
This study by the Home Defenders League and the New Bottom Line examines the racialized impacts of foreclosures in 2012 using two approaches: 1). It analyzes the impact of foreclosures in ZIP codes with populations of people of color greater than the national average of 16% — "above average people of color." 2). It also analyzes the impact of foreclosures in ZIP codes with majority populations of people of color — "majority people of color."
In Minnesota the average wealth lost per household in major communities of color was $3,600; the average wealth lost per household in communities with above average percentage of people of color was $2,200; and the average wealth lost per household in segregated white communities was $1,300.
The basic formula for lost wealth includes: decline in property values of foreclosed homes; decline in property values of neighboring homes; and cost to taxpayers, including municipal cost of maintaining foreclosed homes and total impact on property taxes.
This study by scholars at Harvard University, Indiana University, and Michigan Technological University found that children are, unfortunately, a risk factor for eviction, even after controlling for how much rent tenants owed, race and single-mother households. This means that advocates should not only focus on the freedom to obtain housing, but also the freedom to maintain housing.
Rural Pulse: a snapshot or rural concerns, perceptions, and priorities of rural Minnesotans
Rural Pulse is a Blandin Foundation research study that takes a snapshot of the concerns, perceptions and priorities of rural Minnesota residents. In March 2013, more than a thousand rural Minnesotans (in communities under 35,000) participated in the project.
The need for attracting new, high-quality jobs is the top priority for a third of rural Minnesotans. Other big concerns include educational opportunities (18%) and growing local business (12%). Housing was cited as the most critical concern by only 5% of people, but history shows that with job booms, comes the need for housing.
This report by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force and the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) illustrates the affordable housing crisis affecting millions of people with serious and long-term disabilities who rely on federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for their basic needs. The report shows that it is virtually impossible for people with disabilities receiving SSI to obtain decent, safe, affordable, and accessible housing in the community without a permanent housing subsidy.
Does High Homeownership Impair the Labor Market?
This surprising study commissioned by the Peterson Institute finds that rises in the homeownership rate in a U.S. state are a precursor to eventual sharp rises in unemployment in that state. How can this be? The authors attribute this to three factors: (i) lower levels of labor mobility, (ii) greater commuting times, and (iii) fewer new businesses.