Tax Policies Should Encourage Housing Privatization

Political forces, which are controlled by the government, can majorly influence and change the way people live their life. From the Federal Housing Administration, which enabled citizens to become homeowners by underwriting mortgages, to the Interstate Highway Act, that change the route of expressways, political forces can dramatically change the way a city runs and functions. Wilson (2011) states, “In short, public housing became a federally funded institution that isolated families by race and class, resulting in high concentrations of poor black families in inner-city ghettos” (pg. 14). Wilson describes political forces as

One of the most prevalent forms of discrimination is through housing. While modern discrimination is typically difficult to figure out the exact intentions of the person accused of discrimination, such as a boss not choosing a minority to fill a management role, discrimination in housing has continued to be more obvious. The reason why housing is so important is because where a person lives dictates the school the resident’s children go to, the infrastructure such as hospitals, parks and libraries, and also availability of employment. Many of the housing inequalities have been caused by the Federal government such as the national appraisal system and subsidizing suburban areas, and not enforcing abolishing restricted covenants.

Martin Luther King Jr. also had a tremendous impact on the upbringing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. One of MLK’s main goals was to rid Chicago and other cities around the U.S. of slums and ghettos. He attempted to do so with the Chicago Freedom Movement, a peaceful protest fighting for a better open housing market. Some may consider this movement a failure, but in reality it paved the way for the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The assassination of MLK also played a large roll in the establishment of this act. Many events lead up to the passing of The Fair Housing Act of 1968. Families were rejected into neighborhoods because of the color of their skin. Men who were disabled from war received unjustified prices of homes. Couples were denied a reasonably priced place to sleep, just because they had children. The passing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlaws any type of housing discrimination. The enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, resulted in a reduction of slums and ghettos. The act also allowed for more affordable housing to all. The law that these groups fought so rigorously for ensures that when purchasing or renting a home one will not experience any discriminatory actions, all of which include an increase in pricing, unreasonable rules

The Housing Act of 1937, also known as the Wagner-Seagull Act. The Act provides subsidies paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies. The purpose is to improve living conditions for low income families (The Housing Act of 1937, 2011). According to writes D. Bradford Hunt, historians miss-understood the intent of the Housing Act of 1937. The Act was known to be the housing program comprised by amendments originating from real estate and conservative interests. Rather the 1937 Housing Act

The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 enacted a voucher program, the Section 8 Housing Allowance program that has since been renamed the Housing Choice Voucher program (HCV). In the original program vouchers were sent directly to qualifying landlords, however, in 1988, the terms were changed so that the tenants now receive the vouchers. Tenants were given more leeway in where and how the vouchers could be used (Teater, 2008).

The Fair Housing Act of 1968, also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968; prohibits the selling, renting, and financing of properties based on race, color, sex, or nationality. In 1988, Congress passed the Fair Housing Amendments Act, which expanded the law to prohibit discrimination based on disabilities and family status. Since that act was established, what has the been the correlation between housing and poverty for African-Americans in Cleveland, Ohio?

In 1964 President Kennedy started the process of making a substantial effort to eradicate poverty when he received a memo showing that the number of families that were poor at that time (which was below the $3000 threshold) would remain poor even with full-time work if changes were not made (Haveman, R ( 1 ), Blank, R ( 2 ), Moffitt, R ( 3 ), Smeeding, T ( 4 ), & Wallace, G ( 5 ), 2015). He also directed that antipoverty measures be included in the 1964 legislation when awareness of the plight of more than 40% of blacks living in poverty was made (Haveman, R ( 1 ) et al., 2015). After his untimely assassination President Johnson moved the plan forward signing the Economic Opportunity Bill into law in 1964 (Haveman, R ( 1 ) et al., 2015). A total of $800 million (equivalent to $6 billion in today’s dollars) was appropriated to the Executive agency Johnson created to address and oversee the programs that were to be used to combat poverty (Haveman, R ( 1 ) et al., 2015). Many of the programs had existed prior to 1964 but these efforts were targeted to “provide direct services to the poor, promote the development of human capital and stimulate social and community change.” (Haveman, R ( 1 ) et al., 2015) Medicaid was also created to provide for the poor and the farm community helped to expand the Food Stamp program (which also helped address concerns about food surplus), and Housing subsidy was expanded as well and most, if not all, of these programs continue in some form

It is often easy to castigate large cities or third world countries as failures in the field of affordable housing, yet the crisis, like an invisible cancer, manifests itself in many forms, plaguing both urban and suburban areas. Reformers have wrestled passionately with the issue for centuries, revealing the severity of the situation in an attempt for change, while politicians have only responded with band aid solutions. Unfortunately, the housing crisis easily fades from our memory, replaced by visions of homeless vets, or starving children. Metropolis magazine explains that “…though billions of dollars are spent each year on housing and development programs worldwide, ? At least 1 billion people

In order to eliminate the racist perception that Black poverty derives from laziness, the government should allocate public resources to restoring the predominantly African American communities by providing cheaper housing and resources for children. By restoring the communities, Blacks will have more opportunities and be seen more positively, both of which counteract the racist presumption that all African Americans are poor and lazy. Additionally, by making Black communities just as desirable as their white counterparts, the direct correspondence between race and affluence will no longer be as prevalent. As part of a new housing act in 1949, Chicago received funding for new housing projects – 98 percent of which were built in Black neighborhoods.

There is a large population of low-income individuals who are aged, handicapped, or otherwise in the low-income group of individuals who need assistance in obtaining appropriate housing and who, without the benefits of Section 8 subsidized housing would be homeless or living in inhumane conditions and many of these children and the elderly. Section 8 subsidized housing is a HUD program that assists

This all seems great, a savior program that allows people who cannot afford to pay rent normally. Section 8 is utilized by the elderly, disabled, and families with and without children but is it really a golden program? Stated above, section 8 provides for vouchers for all types of apartments and even condos in certain states; however, are these opportunities open to all races? 41.6 percent of African Americans are on housing assistance programs, as in this county’s displaced history on minorities, the voucher program produces elements that affect minorities. Although African Americans make up the overall higher percentage when it comes to housing assistance programs, according to National Low-Income Housing Coalition, surprisingly Caucasians make up 49 percent of the project-based section 8. Yet, National Low-Income Housing Coalition mentions that African Americans as of 2010 shows that black and Hispanic public housing residents are four times more likely than their Caucasian counterparts public housing residents to live in high-poverty neighborhoods. Black and Hispanic voucher recipients are about three times as likely as their white counterparts to live in high-poverty neighborhoods. Analyzing this data; furthermore, as of 2010, 28 percent of white voucher recipients live in the lowest poverty neighborhoods! Reviewing this data Caucasians obtains overall nationwide more voucher approvals that African Americans living in the highest of poverty neighborhoods and that comes

For the first time in American history, housing was not limited by salary or belief. Martin Luther King Jr., a significant civil rights leader, was assassinated in Tennessee in 1968. “Amid a wave of emotion—including riots, burning and looting in more than 100 cities around the country—President Lyndon B. Johnson increased pressure on Congress to pass the new civil rights legislation” (History.com Staff). The act was passed by congress on April 4, 1968 as a memorial to Dr. King. The act made it “unlawful for those entities to refuse to rent, sell, or provide financing for a dwelling based on factors other than an individual’s financial resources” (Britannica).

The Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing) was one of the most momentous achievements of Civil Rights. It was originally instituted in 1964 to protect Civil Right workers however, in 1968 the focus shifted to fair housing. This legislation was to ensure no discrimination in the sale, rental or financing of real property based on race, color, religion, or national origin. This meant all human beings but most specifically African Americans. After the Civil War segregation was legally rampant in the south additionally, living conditions were poor and there was little economic opportunity. African American still residing in the south begin to receive information that family and friends in the north were afforded better living conditions moreover,

Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement’s most notable and influential activists, riots ensued across the United States as a reaction to the anger and grief experienced by millions. Conflict and violence became so severe that President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the mobilization of the army and national guard. The severity of these riots resulted in a swift legislative response by Congress and President Johnson, and after a strained and rapid debate, a compromise was reached within Congress and the Fair Housing Act, also known as the Civil Rights of 1968, was signed into

The lack of affordable housing in the United States is a problem that doesn 't receive nearly the attention that it necessitates. This absence of affordable housing became especially prevalent following World War II when suburbanization spread across the country like wildfire. Although the sheer number of homes increased, Jim Crow segregation influenced housing policy, meaning that white institutions prevented blacks from obtaining the mortgages needed to afford such homes. Therefore, rather than accept subprime loans, which often result in foreclosure, many black people have been pigeonholed into paying exorbitant rates for dilapidated rental properties located in inner-cities, thereby creating the affordable housing problem. Although the situation seems bleak, with careful planning and execution, we can solve the affordable housing problem. Specifically, my proposal involves the following two components: the government must first revise and draft three forms of legislation that create strict yet concise standards that landlords must follow, and then allocate federal funding to health and wellness programs within poor communities. By examining the contributing societal factors to the lack of affordable housing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then implementing the proposal mentioned above, one could potentially solve the affordable housing problem there and transpose the plan to other impoverished cities across the country.