A cascade of crises is forcing America to confront the racism of its past and present—from overt acts of hate to subtler injustices that shape our society. Over 16 weeks, City Limits and Enterprise Community Partners will feature prominent New Yorkers’ views on how race and housing policy intersect to create a legacy each of us must confront, and the way forward we should take together. These are not necessarily views we endorse. But they are views we fully believe are important to share with each other.
The man aiming to stop the city’s practice of reserving half of new affordable apartments for community residents says the policy creates divisions and limits mobility, doubling down on mistakes of the past.
‘These early battles at the intersection of race and housing within the Asian-American community are identical to those fought by other minority and immigrant groups.’
Ethnic concentration is not inherently harmful, but segregation can affect individual outcomes by constraining residential options and shaping the resources and services available in the neighborhoods in which different groups live.
‘No neighbor on Staten Island would close the door of their ‘hood because of the different color of a new neighbor’s skin—those days have long since passed. But people will object to housing development plans that they perceive are not safe.’
Discrimination and segregation shaped the existential crisis that faced many Bronx neighborhoods in the 1970s and 1980s. But in the building by building fight for decent conditions, a veteran advocate recalls, race was rarely a topic of conversation.
“Many past policy decisions improved the lives of generations of impoverished citizens and immigrants. Others deepened and perpetuated inequality, limiting the region’s overall prosperity and livability in the process.” Our Building Justice series continues.
‘Cities nationwide, including New York, remain incredibly segregated by race and class. Now, it is more important than ever to have honest discussions about how we arrived at this point.’ The first post in a new blog series.