"Redlining," as many of you know, was a common practice in the housing industry used by mortgage companies to deny loans to certain populations. You can guess which populations those were. The practice got its name from maps in loan officers' offices on which areas were outlined in red to show where it was not “financially wise” to offer loan products. These denied loan services rendered it nearly impossible for people of color in the areas to qualify for better housing in other neighborhoods or the ability to improve their current home. I don’t have to tell you how this played out. Prior to the 1968 Fair Housing Act, there were no specific laws to protect minority groups from these predatory and racist practices.

Clearly, the Fair Housing Act was landmark legislation, but we all know that the spatial isolation that decades of redlining had wide-ranging impact. Emerging research is showing some unexpected effects of these practices that are manifesting themselves today.

I will refer you to the following article from Scientific American because frankly, I am not an environmental scientist in any capacity. The gist of the article is this: new research is showing that historically redlined areas are now presenting as “hotspots.” By that I mean temperatures in historically redlined areas are x to y degrees warmer than other areas. This leads to higher incidents of heat stroke, heat related illnesses, respiratory issues, etc.

Past Racist Redlining Practices Increased Climate Burden on Minority Neighborhoods

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