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Overview
Overview
What is Housing Inequality?
Housing inequality is a form of economic inequality and often relates to racial/ethnic and social inequalities as well. People's access to quality housing are limited by their socioeconomic statuses and financial capabilities, meaning lower-class and lower-income families tend to be stuck in poor quality housing, while upper-class and higher-income families can afford better quality housing.
People's abilities to improve their housing situations also depends on their finances and social situations. Due to systemic racism and the lasting effects of redlining, people of color often cannot access quality housing. Overall, though, there is very low social mobility for neighborhoods and individuals alike; most poor neighborhoods remain poor, and most affluent neighborhoods remain affluent.
Why should we care?
People's geographic location determines the resources, support systems, and opportunities available to them. From things like quality of education for children to job opportunities for adults, where you live matters. But if people can't improve their housing or move to better areas, they'll be stuck in areas that don't give them the opportunities to improve their social or economic statuses.
Race shapes economic advantages and penalties in neighborhoods. Black neighborhoods are exposed to greater poverty, more unemployment, and more crime and disorder than white neighborhoods. Residential segregation is rooted in a historical practices like redlining and discrimination.
Redlining refers to the neighborhoods and areas that the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) would refuse to back loans for, as those areas were designated as “risky” and marked as red on maps. According to The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein, “One of the measures of value and stability” was the race of the residents. Due to racism, black neighborhoods were rated as “risky,” so black individuals and families were not able to obtain loans to secure quality housing or get access to high-quality (white) neighborhoods. In the past, the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) would not back loans in areas designated as risky, indicated by red on the map below.
FHA Insured Mortgages: Mortgage insurance: Insurance policy that compensates lenders for losses due to a borrowers default on the loan. National Housing Act of 1934 created Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA-backed loans provided insurance for borrowers with lower credit scores and smaller down payments.
Refer to the video on the right for further information on the connection of systemic racism and housing inequality.
Photo credit: WOSU Public Media
Photo credit: https://www.huduser.gov
Photo credit: Dayton Daily News
Photo credit: 2 News
Considering Housing & Homelessness in Dayton
Considering Housing & Homelessness in Dayton
Housing and Homelessness inequality extends directly into the Greater Dayton area, disproportionally affecting communities of color. According to the 2017 Montgomery County Annual Report, approximately 550 of our fellow citizens are considered homeless, making up 83% of the overall population and nearly 17% are families with children. There were 478 households experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County in 2018. In 2019, there were 475 households counted that were experiencing homelessness (Dayton Daily News). Those numbers have increased, as the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2020) has reported that approximately 736 people are homeless in Dayton on a given night. In the city of Dayton, the root causes of homelessness are poverty and the lack of affordable housing options. In Montgomery County, Fair Market Rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is $583. Without spending more than 30% of household income, a household must earn $23,320 annually, or $11.21 per hour, which is more than minimum wage. To afford this, a minimum wage earner must work.
Redlined neighborhoods in Dayton are also predominantly communities of colors. On the "Mapping Inequalities" redline map of the city of Dayton shown on the left, the green areas represent the safest neighborhoods and the red areas represent the riskiest neighborhoods. The neighborhoods deemed the riskiest are African American communities, even though these neighborhoods were a solid middle-class neighborhood.
In connection to racial inequality, housing inequality also has a direct correlation to environmental inequality in Dayton. According to the Undesign the Redline exhibit, there is a 10 year life expectancy difference between the Dayton neighborhoods as redlined communities also sites for landfills, factories, and other harmful uses.
When looking at homelessness numbers in Dayton compared to other major Ohio cities, Dayton is ranked 5th in Ohio in 2011 and 4th in 2016 for the highest number of homeless people. Housing inequality has a direct correlation to environmental inequalities in Dayton.
Types of Shelters in Montgomery County: Emergency Shelters are places where the homeless can find a safe place to stay in case of sudden loss of housing. There are about 410 emergency shelter beds in Montgomery County. Transitional Housing are shelters intended to temporarily care for the displaced or chronically homeless population. There are about 136 Transitional Housing beds in Montgomery County. Permanent Supportive Housing is a long-term housing service for the elderly or vulnurable population struggling to stay above the poverty line. There are about 1432 Permanent Supportive Housing beds in Montgomery County. Rapid re-housing is a short-term rental assistance service with the purpose of helping people obtain housing quickly, increase self- sufficiency, and stay housed. There are about 350 Rapid Re-Housing beds in Montgomery County.
Local Groups and Organizations Helping the Cause of Homelessness and Housing Inequality
https://www.homefull.org/services-and-programs/direct-client-services/
https://stvincentdayton.org/
https://www.ywcadayton.org/what-were-doing/economic-empowerment/homeless-crisis-response-program/
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