Institutional Racism

expensive. As a result, this excludes lower income racial and ethnic minorities from
certain neighborhoods.
Location of Public Housing
The location of public housing developments influences both racial and income
segregation patterns. Racial segregation in public housing programs occurs when high
concentrations of a certain minority group occupy one specific public housing
development. Income segregation occurs when high concentrations of public housing
are located in one specific income area.
Racial Segregation in Public Housing
Federal and local policies have historically racially segregated public housing.
Local jurisdictions determined whether to incorporate public housing into their locality
and most had control over where low income housing sites were built. In many areas,
the white majority would not allow public housing to be built in "their" neighborhoods
unless it was reserved for poor whites. Black elected officials recognized the need for
housing for their constituents, but felt that it would be politically unpopular to advocate
for inclusionary housing.
Of the 49 public housing units constructed before World War II, 43 projects supported
by the Public Works Administration and 236 of 261 projects supported by the U.S.
Housing Authority were segregated by race.
Anti-discrimination laws passed after World War II led to a reduction in racial
segregation for a short period of time, but as income-ineligible tenants were removed
from public housing, the proportion of black residents increased. The remaining lowincome
white tenants were often elderly and moved to projects reserved specifically for
seniors. Family public housing units then became dominated by racial minorities.
Three of the more infamous minority concentrated public housing projects in America
were Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis and Cabrini-Green and Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago.
Income Segregation in Public Housing
Determining if a disproportionate level of public housing exists in low-income
neighborhoods is hard because defining low, moderate and high income geographic
locations, and locating projects in these locations is difficult. Assumptions affirming the
density of public housing in low-income areas are supported by the fact that public
housing units built between 1932 and 1963 were primarily located in slum areas and
vacant industrial sites. This trend continued between 1964 and 1992, when a high
density of projects were located in old core cities of metropolitan areas that were
considered low income.
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