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by Catherine Read

The Color of Law – Richard Rothstein

Color of Law Richard Rothstein
(April 2018) On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 90-year-old Walter F. Mondale wrote an op-ed about the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which he co-authored as a U.S. Senator. The next day, a 14-year-old black student in Detroit was shot at by a homeowner when he rang their doorbell asking for directions to his high school. The Color of Law explains why a hundred years of public policy designed to segregate neighborhoods and communities made that moment inevitable, despite the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Author Richard Rothstein sets out to show how unconstitutional laws and unconstitutional public policies set up a system of de jure racial segregation in housing. Where once there was integrated housing and neighborhoods a century ago, a system of establishing “whites only” and “blacks only” housing and neighborhoods was engineered and promoted from the Oval Office and the Supreme Court to State Legislatures and City Planning Commissions, passing through court rooms that refused to uphold the tenants of our U.S. Constitution’s 5th and 14th Amendments.

In the Jim Crow era following reconstruction, there was collusion at every level to deny African Americans the right to buy housing any place where they could afford it. Integrated neighborhoods were systematically dismantled and policies put into place that would create separate and unequal housing for black Americans.

In 1926, the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld exclusionary zoning, it also upheld restrictive covenants, finding that they were voluntary private contracts, not state action. With this decision to rely upon, successive presidential administrations embraced covenants as a mean of segregating the nation.

This march toward segregation in housing was exacerbated by the acceleration of home construction during World War II to support war workers around the country. The migration of black workers to industrial centers following war jobs, created a sudden influx of African Americans needing housing where there was none. The hasty construction of war housing created separate and very unequal communities, setting a pattern that would continue for decades afterward.

The post war housing boom in the 40’s and 50’s was fueled by GI bills and VA loans that made it possible for WHITE war veterans to afford to own their own homes in suburban neighborhoods that were “whites only.” Black war veterans were not able to use the benefits GI bills provided for housing and higher education. Very few higher educational institutions would even accept black students. And there were few homes for African Americans to buy and the housing finance industry would not approve mortgages for homes in “red lined zones.” The history of the Fair Housing Authority (FHA) is a dark one.

Rothstein does an outstanding job in presenting thorough and credible research about how segregated neighborhoods were a result of unconstitutional de jure policies rather than any de facto settlement patterns. He explores how discrimination in educational opportunities, within the federal civil service and the military, and even within labor unions systematically disadvantaged African Americans and depressed their earning potential. That disadvantage persists from one generation to the next. The heritable wealth that white Americans have passed down from one generation to the next has created a wealth gap in this country that will not be easily reversed by any policies created moving forward.

The neighborhoods created for “blacks only” were often on the edge of industrial and commercial zones used as buffers between white suburban neighborhoods and black communities. The proximity of that housing to industrial toxins and pollution are factors that have impacted the health of African Americans living in those communities. When we speak of “social determinants of health” things like the location of housing, overcrowding, the lack of job opportunities, food deserts and the lack of adequate public transportation all lead to poor health outcomes in predominantly black neighborhoods.

The role that the mortgage and real estate industries played in segregating the country is appalling. The “block busting” that preyed upon white homeowners and black homebuyers alike by real estate agents is unconscionable and for far too many years it went on unabated. The sub prime mortgage debacle a mere decade ago greatly disadvantaged minority homebuyers and homeowners and resulted in many losing their homes.

Upholding the validity of housing covenants right through the 1960s has left us with deeply segregated neighborhoods that have subsequently led to very segregated public schools. To this day, the zoning policies of towns, cities and counties across the country determine what types of housing are built, who can afford to live there, and how that housing stock impacts the make up of public school classrooms. The phrase “residential character of our neighborhoods” takes on a whole new meaning after reading this book.

I finished this book asking myself – again – why we do not teach public school students about the economic history of this country. The national mythology that passes itself off as history in our textbooks and school curriculums does not provide a foundation for young people to make better decisions as adults than their own parents did. We are truly ignorant of our own history and I see no movement to correct that.

The Color of Law would make an excellent AP History textbook. Our history does not dictate our future – unless we don’t know that history – in which case it’s very likely we will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Filed Under: Good Books Tagged With: Covenants, FHA, GI Bill, Housing, Jim Crow, Red Lining, Richard Rothstein, School Segregation, Segregation, The Color of Law, Zoning

by Catherine Read

Christopher Fay of Homestretch in Falls Church VA

(May 1, 2017) Catherine Read speaks with Homestretch Executive Director Christopher Fay. This non-profit provides transitional housing for families with children in Fairfax County. Founded in 1990, they have 50 homes distributed throughout the county and they support families for two years with safe housing and additional support services. They offer assistance in helping families to pay down debt, repair their credit history, pursue additional education and certifications, and to find jobs with a career path. They also offer English as a second language classes.

Over 50% of the Homestretch families are women with children who are victims of domestic violence. Some have been victims of human trafficking, and some are refugees from countries where the U.S. has had a military presence – Afghanistan, Iraq and the Sudan. Some families are there because of the death of a loved one, a medical crisis or prolonged unemployment. Everyone there has children, and all have suffered some type of trauma in their lives.

The shocking reality about homelessness in the United States is that the average age of a homeless person is 9 years old. Sixty percent of the homeless population in this country are families. Homestretch clients come from area shelters where they have been given temporary shelter.

Support services include Kidstretch, which serves the children of Homestretch and is also open to the public. They partner with Fairfax County Early Literacy Services and provide access to cultural enrichment activities, structured play and field trips.

Teenstretch supports middle school and high school students in Homestretch with programs focused on Social/Emotional Development, Academic Support, Healthy Living, Life Skills and Community Service.

Christopher FayChristopher Fay shared stories of some of the families who have come to Homestretch under the most dire of circumstances. Because they support families longer than most taxpayer programs provide for, Homestretch raises 95% of their operating funds themselves. In addition to their many fundraising activities, they have long term corporate partnerships with area companies like Excella Consulting, Integrity Management Consulting, Butz Wilbern, The JBG Companies, Mayer-Brown, ReedSmith LLP and many others. Beyond monetary and in-kind donations, these companies have employees who are actively engaged in providing support and services directly to Homestretch families.Faith communities like Dulin United Methodist Church also provide support and volunteers. In addition to a staff of 20, there are 300 to 400 volunteers providing everything from mentoring adults and providing meals to dental services and moving services.

Homestretch is unique in following up with their families to determine how successfully they have maintained self-sufficiency years after leaving the program. George Mason did one such study and George Washington University did two. Those results showed 95% of their program participants were still living independently and are successfully integrated into their communities.

There are many ways to support Homestretch. Cash donations are gratefully accepted, donations of furniture and furnishings for new families (families take their furniture with them when they move on), painting and landscaping, providing meals and snacks for classes and providing transportation to classes in Falls Church for Homestretch families. Often there are collection drives for things like welcome baskets, mattresses, Easter baskets, diapers, etc.

Homestretch has received a number of awards including the Washington Post Helping Hand Award in 2016. Find out more at www.HomestretchVA.org

Filed Under: Blogging, Inside Scoop, Virginia, Women Tagged With: Catherine Read, Christopher Fay, Fairfax County, homelessness, Homestretch, Housing, human services, Kidstretch, Teenstretch

by Catherine Read

Non-Profit Advocacy: Impacting Public Policy – Inside Scoop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Jan. 23, 2017) Catherine read speaks with three Northern Virginia non-profit leaders about the importance of advocacy work to the mission of non-profits focused on human services. In the first segment she is joined by Mary Agee, the former President & CEO of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) which grew substantially in the 40 years she was there. Mary discusses the importance of advocacy and speaks to a widely held misconception that 501(c)3 organizations are prohibited from this activity because it is “lobbying.” Advocacy at its core is an educational activity designed to inform policy makers from town councils to Capitol Hill. Without the work of non-profits who are on the front lines, there is often little awareness of complex issues that require regulation or resources from the government.

Virginia Housing AllianceIn the second segment, Lisa Whetzel, Executive Director of Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread, Inc. – Fairfax) talks about advocacy as one of six identified pillars of change in the book Forces for Good. Britepaths only recently adopted an “advocacy policy” and the journey of their board of directors to address advocacy after 30 years of direct service delivery is instructive. Lisa explains that in the face of disappearing housing where our clients live in Fairfax City, she felt that Britepaths must take a stand in advocating for affordable housing. In focusing on which issues are support the core mission of the organization, Britepaths is able to join forces with other groups such as VOICE and the Virginia Housing Alliance to make a real impact on policy makers from Fairfax City to Richmond Virginia.

In the third segment, Kerrie Wilson, CEO of Cornerstones (formerly Reston Interfaith) talks about coming from a position where she worked in government relations for a national organization to taking the helm of a regionally based non-profit in 2001. Kerri talks about the efforts to build coalitions around issues like affordable housing which impact low income working families here in Northern Virginia and how their organization has evolved over their four decades of serving the Reston area.

Mary Agee Inside ScoopThe final segment with Mary Agee addresses the importance of cultivating relationships over the long term with elected leaders. She also discusses the importance of having human services organizations include advocacy as a major pillar of their efforts and how boards need to take a leadership role in shaping an advocacy policy. There is also discussion about how to find people in our communities who have the skills, the time and the motivation to help solve some of the many problems people in our community face. How does need connect with resources and what can we do to be more efficient in finding volunteers, supporters and advocates?

This show aired as the 2017 Legislative Session in the Commonwealth of Virginia was just underway. For 45 days, Richmond, Virginia, is the destination for people from around the state doing advocacy work around specific issues related to human services. This process is repeated every year where thousands of proposed bills are introduced and the majority of them don’t ever make it to the Governor’s desk. Going forward, it is imperative for non-profits to focus energy and resources on moving the needle forward on policies that improve the quality of life for Virginians in every community.

Filed Under: Blogging, Inside Scoop, Political, TV Shows, Virginia Tagged With: Advocacy, Britepaths, Cornerstones, Housing, Kerrie Wilson, Lisa Whetzel, Mary Agee, Non-Profits, NVFS, Virginia Housing Alliance, VOICE

by Catherine Read

The Future of Housing

(Jan. 19, 2012) Cardinal Bank and George Mason University hosted their 20th Annual Economic Conference at the Ritz Carlton in Tyson’s Corner on Jan. 13, 2012.  It was a capacity crowd of 600 that required additional chairs in the ballroom.

The speakers included the Washington Post‘s Neil Irvin, Dr. Stephen Fuller PhD of GMU, several builders/developers and the EVP of Lending for Cardinal Bank.  It was a lively and informative discussion about our region’s economy, the current recession, jobs, the global economic picture, forecasts for recovery and housing.

Scanning down the notes I took, there were some facts that surprised me:

  • There have been 11 recessions since WWII, with 4.5 years between the first 8.
  • In the next decade, 800k jobs will have to be “backfilled” because of older workers retiring.
  • 39.8% of the Washington DC economy is dependent on Federal spending.
  • Federal spending is highest in VA, with $17k per capita spent in NoVA.
  • We have had 7 consecutive months of federal job losses.
  • It may be 2019 before unemployment is down to pre-recession levels. (Dr. Fuller)

Read More

Filed Under: Virginia Tagged With: Condos, DC, Economy, Housing, Jobs

Catherine S. Read
I believe in the power of community and the ability of one person to make a difference.

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