Housing Discrimination Heats Up Neighborhoods

In the 1930’s the federal government created maps of cities across the country, rating the risks of different neighborhoods for real estate investment.  The maps were graded using a color-coded scale that ranged from green, the best areas in which to invest, to red, the areas deemed “hazardous” for investors.  According to the New York Times, race played a significant role. Black and immigrant neighborhoods were typically rated “hazardous” and outlined in red.  This began the practice of “redlining.”  Bankers and other lenders were able to deny mortgages and investments in these redlined neighborhoods, making them less desirable to investors for improvements and development.

Congress and the courts formally banned the practice decades ago, but the practice had a lasting impact on the communities.

In 2020 the Science Museum of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Portland State University, conducted a study of formerly redlined neighborhoods.  They determined that those neighborhoods can be 5 to 12 degrees hotter than other parts of the same city due to their lack of trees and green space. The formerly redlined neighborhoods also tend to have more heat-absorbing concrete and asphalt that increase temperatures and puts residents at risk for heat-related illness and death.

There is progress to report in Richmond.  With funding from a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant, the Greening Southside Richmond Project implemented a plan to plant trees, create green space, and remove heat-absorbing concrete and asphalt from Southside Richmond communities.  Spearheaded by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and partners, the intention is to plant hundreds of trees in Southside, creating shade and green space for some of the hottest neighborhoods in Richmond.  This will not only improve the health of the James River and Chesapeake Bay by reducing runoff, but also improve the health of long-term residents that are affected by heat-related illnesses.

In addition to the trees planted in public spaces, Southside ReLeaf offered free trees to people living in the area to plant at home.

The study by the Science Museum of Virginia and others concluded that much can be learned by recognizing decades of disproportionate exposure to environmental stressors, and that new urban designs must be implemented.  Thanks to the organizations that are striving to make that a reality.