Welcome to Ignorance is My Privilege, the column dedicated to breaking down the ignorant bubble we live in, separating us from the very real issues in our world. Today’s topic addresses housing segregation in New Jersey and how it affects us in New Brunswick.
Although redlining may have been a term referenced in the past, housing segregation still persists in New Jersey and affects millions of families every day.
Redlining is a government policy “from the early 20th century that excluded communities of color from homeownership, was part of an extensive, state-sanctioned system of racial discrimination in housing and land ownership that pervaded the state and it remains the foundation of NJ’s racial wealth gap.” This entailed the federal government drawing red lines on city maps around various communities considered to be “too risky” for lending, based on racist criteria of course.
Currently, in the state of New Jersey, municipalities that are just a few miles apart have completely different demographics, quality of life, and housing patterns as a result, which has led to this state having one of the harshest racial wealth gaps in all of the United States. This looks like black housing applicants who have a higher income being more likely to be denied than low income white applicants. Even when black families in New Jersey own a home, they get less financial benefits from their investment in comparison to their white peers, resulting in higher interest rates and facing discrimination in home appraisals. Additionally, housing segregation affects state communities on multiple levels because it is the biggest determinant of wealth as it dictates a lot about the community demographic. Hence, it involves education and how well school districts are funded, supported, and organized.
How did we get here? It began with black Americans being denied housing or delayed loan applications due to policies like redlining, predatory renting practices, and racially restrictive covenants. These practices caused certain New Jersey municipalities to house more or less black people, contributing to the current demographics of cities today that were influenced historically. Some progress has been made, beginning with the banning of redlining with the Fair Housing Act in 1968 and subsequent policies aimed at reducing housing segregation throughout New Jersey, but the issue still persists.
New Brunswick is affected greatly as well. Let’s do some comparative analysis, using this data: The median wealth for white households in New Jersey is $322,500, compared to $17,700 for black households and $26,100 for Latino and Hispanic households. This is given that ⅓ of the population statewide comprises Black and Latinx residents, whereas in New Brunswick, Black & Latinx residents make up greater than 60% of the population. New Brunswick is also a designated overburdened community (OBC), meaning that the municipality consists of many low-income residents who are at a disproportionate risk of being affected by increased environmental harm or inadequate living measures. The median household income in New Brunswick is $43,783, with white residents making $55,000, Asians having $37,000, Latinx residents making $32,000, and unfortunately, the lowest demographic being black residents making only $30,000. This racial wealth gap is a very real problem that people living right around our very own college campus are disproportionately dealing with.
Unfortunately, for this issue specifically, there is not much we as students can do about it, as these are policies ingrained in our state’s history. However, we can make a conscious effort to be aware of this issue and help support our local communities by organizing events to aid those in need or getting involved in projects REACH (Rutgers Equity Alliance for Community Health) dedicated to addressing this very issue. Even if we do not have the power to make changes on a policy level, getting involved to help even one person can make an immense impact.
Ignorance is our privilege, let’s work to be less ignorant about housing segregation.
Ignorance is Privilege is a biweekly series. Come back on Fridays for more!