Abstract:
This paper explores the history of housing policies in the United States and how they were implemented. It also examines the effects of discriminatory practices against minorities and low-income groups. There is evidence that this systemic form of discrimination creates conditions that cause poverty and unequal access to education, home mortgages, and good neighborhoods. Newer policies that encourage inclusionary zoning and mixed use construction have attempted to remedy the earlier discriminatory practices. Some discriminatory methods used against African Americans continue to be used against Hispanics. It is therefore necessary for the federal government to address these abuses by developing strategies that reward developers for including a percentage of affordable housing in all of their developments and to implement policies that protect minorities from any future forms of systemic discrimination. The study concludes by examining the policies and practices of a nonprofit organization that provides housing to low-income families are with a view towards how their program fits with the strategic plans of federal and state housing programs.
