33: Redlining Explained: History, Housing Discrimination & the Latest Policy Updates

If you were with us back in our early days, you remember we did a whole episode on redlining: the history of it, the literal red lines drawn on maps in the 1930s to keep Black and immigrant families out of the mortgage market, and how that legacy still shapes segregation and the racial wealth gap today. We’re including that full episode, edited slightly for context, in this conversation.

What we didn't fully appreciate back in 2019 is that the episode wasn't just a history lesson where we were looking back in time. Rather, it was actually the opening scene of this update you’re getting today. 

A lot happened immediately after we recorded that episode that set the stage for everything that is occurring right now, in this second Trump administration, that directly impacts something that we care a LOT about: community, neighborhoods, and who gets to belong. 

So we thought we’d revisit redlining as a way to show just how the fight for community itself is shifting over time, and how we’re all impacted by federal policy shifts designed to target those of us who are most vulnerable. 

We hope you listen, share widely, and think about these issues as we head into a contentious midterm season.

What to listen for: 

• What redlining was, historically, and how it continues to impact our neighborhoods today

• Predatory lending practices that harm all of us

• The problems with gentrification

• The fight over “disparate impact” (i.e., showing that discrimination exists is enough, and you don’t need to prove intent to discriminate) and its impact on equality