A Look Back: The Affordable Housing Crisis, Redlining, and Racial Segregation in Milwaukee

Abstract

This study looks at Milwaukee, WI one of the most segregated regions in the United States and the focus of much recent work on evictions and affordable housing. In order to show the impact of the history of housing discrimination and segregation on today’s city, the effect of the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation’s redlining maps on neighborhood outcomes is analyzed. The research question asks about the link between discriminatory redlining practices of the 1930s and the current state of housing in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. The findings provide some evidence for a causal effect between the redlining practices of the 1930s-40s and neighborhood outcomes for at least income level and racial composition. The aim of this study is to argue for the importance of including a sociohistorical perspective in discussions of housing. It provides an example for additional approaches to housing research that focus on a specific city and the development of its spatial structure over time.