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Resolution Adopted by CFRA Board

The restrictive covenants for certain sections of Crestwood Farms contain language which prohibits the sale, lease or conveyance of any lot to “persons not of the Caucasian race.” Restrictive covenants with this provision were common during the beginning of the 20th century. They were often put in place by developers to ensure eligibility for loans for white homebuyers under discriminatory federal programs run by the FHA and VA. This resulted in the segregation of American neighborhoods by a process known as redlining.

This covenant, and similar covenants, were held to be unenforceable by the United States Supreme Court in 1948 (Shelley v. Kraemer). In 1968, the Fair Housing Act was passed, which prohibited racial discrimination in housing financing.

At the CFRA Board Meeting held on February 6, 2020, a group of Crestwood Farms residents, known as Neighbors for Inclusion in Crestwood Farms, requested that the Board consider a resolution (the full text appears below) to affirm the Board’s support for a welcoming neighborhood for all. The resolution was adopted by the Board at that meeting. 

The Resolution states:


“We, the Board of Crestwood Farms Residents Association, acknowledge that the original Crestwood Farms covenants signed in 1950 include an unenforceable, unlawful, and morally repugnant clause excluding people of color from this neighborhood. We repudiate this clause and state that we welcome with enthusiasm and without reservation neighbors of all races and ethnicities.”

The National Association of Realtors prepared a summary of the history of this type of restrictive covenant. Here’s a link to that summary: https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2018-February-Fair-Housing-Story.pdf