Urban poverty and housing discrimination are two issues that go hand in hand, and both collectively reveal that discrimination based on race, origin, and other characteristics that still presents a very real problem in our country. While poverty itself certainly isn’t race specific –it can happen to anyone—alarmingly high rates are seen in blacks, Hispanics, other minority groups, and even disabled individuals. This trend also appears for housing discrimination in which minorities and other disadvantaged groups share most of the burden. This discrimination even extends to bank loans and mortgage rates, which are made much more unfair for minority groups, making it even harder for them to purchase a home. Even honest bankers honest bankers who do not discriminate take into consideration factors like income and debt when lending money, which is problematic due to lower average income levels in minority groups. Thus, inadvertently or not, the system has made it increasingly hard for certain races and groups of individuals to gain access to equal housing, and by relegating them to poorer areas of the city, issues of poverty in these individuals continue to recur.

Chapter 11 makes it clear that it’s not just having a home that matters – the location and quality of a home matters just as much. To learn that one-third of African Americans living in cities are in fact living in hyper-segregated neighborhoods was extremely concerning because the neighborhood you live in dictates the opportunities you get, which poses grave socioeconomic obstacles for those living in isolated neighborhoods. For example, they are at a major disadvantage when it comes to accessing better school districts, and even better-paying jobs, thus hindering their growth and perhaps even contributing to further waves of poverty.

I strongly believe that it’s the government’s responsibility to enforce inclusion of people from all backgrounds in every neighborhood. While laws such as the HUD’s Fair Housing Act of 1968 exist for the purpose of prohibiting acts of discrimination when they are purchasing housing, it’s clear that this kind of segregation continues to exists, raising question as to the adequacy/proper enforcement of these laws. Diverting more funding towards preventative measures –those that would enforce inclusion in white-only suburban areas, and address the root causes of poverty in certain racial groups—as opposed to short term ameliorative measures such as food stamps is how our government should consider dealing with these issues.