This excerpt from Crabgrass Frontier discusses the government’s influence in dictating the housing Market. Kenneth T. Jackson explains how such influence has been a disadvantage to both ethnic groups and urban environments in the past. However, the major qualm should be directed at the adoption of discriminatory attitudes by the federal government, rather than the influential powers of the agency.
In the 20th century, there was a general trend of moving to the suburbs that was evident with and without legislative incentive. Before 1933, purchasing a place to live was an individual choice not limited by many regulations. Nonetheless, as roads emerged, automobiles became popular, and gas remained relatively cheap, people were drawn to the suburbs. The suburbs seemed to represent American ideals of progress and privacy. However, after the Great Depression, government intervention resulted in policies created by the HOLC (Home Owners Loan Corporation) and the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) that bolstered the move into suburbia. When it became easier for families to buy a house in the suburbs than rent one in the city, most families seemed to fulfill their own private dream by choosing to own property. As a result, it can be said that the implementation of government policy only assisted people in following a trend that was already on their minds.
This being said, the argument against Washington should not be for deconcentrating the inner city or robbing it of the middle class, but rather, the manner in which they executed such change. As Jackson points out on page 217, “the lasting damage done by the national government was that it put its seal of approval on ethnic and racial discrimination.” In other words, it is outrageous that public policy adopted by HOLC was able to legitimately consider neighborhoods as “undesirable” or “declining” based on the presence of black families. Furthermore, the FHA adopted these systemized appraisal methods and rating systems, making it difficult for heterogeneous populations (such as cities) to look desirable in terms of projected property value. Hence, it became clear that certain people groups, namely blacks, would always be restricted to neighborhoods of lower value. This, in essence, is publicly enforced racism. If the influx of black families resulted in the devaluation of property, then there would be no circumstance in which blacks could socially progress. As a result, the criticism of Washington over controlling the housing market should be centered on the adoption of discriminatory legislation.
Altogether, Kenneth T. Jackson clearly portrays the monumental influence that government can have in dictating the housing market. However, this influence becomes unjust if it is dictated by policies that hold a negative attitude towards particular ethnic groups. Hence, the concern is not about the power of government to influence housing, but more about the manner by which they carry out such influence.
