Policymaking and the New President: Combat Housing Segregation and Support Diversity
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Margery Austin Turner
Research strongly suggests that Americans want more residential integration than we are getting. But a self-perpetuating combination of inequities, fears, and inertia work against this goal. Given the complexity of the factors sustaining residential segregation in urban America today, the federal government should take the lead on a three-pronged strategy: (1) enforcement to combat persistent discrimination, (2) education on the availability and desirability of diverse neighborhoods, and (3) incentives to encourage and nurture residential diversity. Each is essential to achieving the full potential of the other two. Federal fair housing enforcement has waxed and waned over the past four decades but has consistently relied too heavily on complaints from victims of discrimination as the trigger for investigation and action. Because discrimination today is so hard to detect, much of it goes unrecognized, and when homeseekers do suspect discrimination, most think that taking action is not worth the time and effort required. The federal government should provide more funding to support proactive "paired testing" of real estate agents, rental housing providers, lending institutions, and mortgage brokers in city and suburban communities across the country. But enforcement alone is not enough. The federal government should fund local public education campaigns and information clearinghouses that highlight the existence and assets of racially diverse neighborhoods to help both minority and white homeseekers overcome stereotypes and fears. Funding could flow through Community Development Block Grants or an expanded Fair Housing Initiatives Program to local fair housing groups and metropolitan housing alliances. The third essential prong in a 21st-century fair housing strategy is offering incentives that encourage both minority and white homeseekers to make pro-integrative moves and support the viability and stability of diverse neighborhoods. One example is enhanced downpayment assistance or low-interest loans for homebuyers who move to a neighborhood where their race or ethnicity does not predominate. Another is equity insurance programs that guarantee homeowners in diversifying neighborhoods a reasonable future sales price if they remain in their homes today. A federal demonstration program is needed to experiment with such initiatives and rigorously evaluate their effectiveness in short-circuiting the self-fulfilling prophecy of racial tipping and disinvestment that undermines the stability of diverse neighborhoods today. Other Policymaking Advice for the New President:
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In the four decades since the Fair Housing Act passed, our nation has made important strides toward free and fair housing choice and open and inclusive neighborhoods. But we still have a long way to go. Discrimination persists, limiting the choices open to minority homeseekers. And most neighborhoods remain stubbornly segregated, limiting opportunities for minorities to share fully in social and economic opportunities.