Using Municipal Land Records to Reconstruct the Initial Patterns and Evolution of Redlining: 1935-1975
Much of the literature on redlining – the systematic denial of mortgage loans to individuals in Black neighborhoods – focuses on the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) and its residential security maps. Less is known about how the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) affected the racial geography of cities, even though some limited evidence suggests FHA ratings played a more important role than the HOLC. Economists Omer Ali, Randall Walsh, and Andreas will examine how historical mortgage insurance practices by the FHA are related to the long-term trajectory of neighborhoods, residents, and racial inequality. They will analyze FHA records from 1935-1975 for their study.