Just before Juneteenth, in a very extraordinary moment for the Nation, the White House recognized “exclusionary zoning” and its effect on racial discrimination in the housing market for the first time.
In the White House blog (yes they have a blog), authors Cecilia Rouse, Jared Bernstein, Helen Knudsen, and Jeffery Zhang wrote about Juneteenth — the day the last slave was freed in Texas — as a day to be celebrated but also understood, as there is still progress to be made despite the most recent development.
And given the historical significance of the day, it’s no surprise that the Biden administration wants to build off this momentum to push a more robust agenda that gets to the very foundation of racial discrimination.
“Exclusionary zoning laws place restrictions on the types of homes that can be built in a particular neighborhood. Common examples include minimum lot size requirements, minimum square footage requirements, prohibitions on multi-family homes, and limits on the height of buildings.”
whitehouse.gov
And while there is a plethora of ways to undo the racist policies of the past, the idea of zoning reform as a tool for equity has scarcely been discussed — but that may be about to change.
To address the issue, the Biden administration has proposed the Unlocking Possibilities Program — a $5 billion competitive grant program that would help cities dismantle old, exclusionary zoning laws.
“The goal of this program is to address persistent inequities in the American housing market. The benefits could be substantial—increased access to affordable housing so that previously excluded Americans can move to areas with greater opportunity, and increased opportunities for Black families to build wealth via home ownership.”
And while it remains to be seen what happens with this new program, it’s a start nonetheless.
Find the full article on zoning reform here: Exclusionary Zoning: Its Effect on Racial Discrimination in the Housing Market — Published June 17, 2021, on the WhiteHouse.gov website.
