Source: Grist
The Obama administration has worked endlessly to change zoning laws through a “tool kit” that will push back against racism and improve affordable housing.
Zoning codes have an extensive history of creating unaffordable housing areas that ultimately block out poor families and minorities, who statistically make less than Caucasian families. The average white family has 13 times the wealth of a given black family, and 10 times more than a Latino family.
The federal government can enforce changes on the zoning codes because of the inherent racism that creates a disadvantage for minorities through strict laws. The laws limit the size of families and set minimum lot size, to prevent “overcrowding” or “traffic.”
“What’s needed is a system-wide solution, such as strengthening the Fair Housing Act to give the feds broader enforcement powers. It’s impossible to imagine this happening with the current Congress, of course, and any effort by the federal government to claim more control over land use would lead to legal challenges,” reported Grist.
Read full story at: Grist