Missing Pieces in the Puzzle: Leveraging Untapped Archival Data to Connect New Deal Housing Policies to Racial and Spatial Inequality
Recent research connects New Deal home mortgage policies, including maps drafted by the Homeowners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC), to many contemporary racial and spatial inequalities, including residential segregation, housing outcomes, and decreased mobility. However, this focus may understate the impact of the federal government’s redlining practices on contemporary racial inequality. Sociologist Jacob Faber and urban planner Wenfei Xu will examine the impacts of both Federal Housing Administration and Veteran’s Administration activity on racial inequality in neighborhood attainment, wealth building, and housing opportunity. They will analyze data from the National Archives, Reconstruction Finance Corporation Mortgage Company loan records, and Paid Loan Case Files for their study.