Social & Economic Challenges of Urban Changes

Housing Affordability

The maximum price a buyer can pay for a property;

Squatter Settlements/ Disamenity Zones

Areas of degraded, possibly temporary, inadequate & often illegal housing settlements

Access to Services

Governments are responsible for providing essential public and social services to residents

Urban Crime

Violent crime is found more often in rundown/inner city neighborhoods (places of urban decay)

Deed Restrictions

Stating that land cannot be sold or rented to people of color in a property deed (Now illegal)

Redlining

Marking “high-risk” neighborhoods (ethnically diverse/low income) on maps and refusing to provide home loans to people in those places (Currently illegal)

Blockbusting

Realtors persuade white homeowners to sell their urban homes by convincing them of problems due to diversity, (Now illegal)

Causes of Housing Affordability

Increased standard of living

● Increased immigration

● Urban sprawl

● Urban decay

Effects of Housing Affordability

● High prices and lack of supply causes homelessness

● Government provides vouchers to help low income families afford rent/loans

● Lower income residents often live in more impoverished areas

Causes of Squatter Settlements

● Rapid population growth

● Lack of available housing in large cities

● Urban Decay

● Lack of infrastructure provided by government

Effects of Squatter Settlements

● Lack of basic amenities

● Crime/drugs/gangs more common

● Unique sense of culture

Causes of Access to Services

● Loss of tax revenue from urban decay

● Massive immigration

Effects of Access to Services

● Governments may provide more social services for residents in low-income areas (housing assistance, shelters, counseling, etc.)

● Some cities struggle to provide adequate services

Causes of Urban Crime

● White Flight

● Movement to suburbs

● Urban Decay

● Less taxes in cities

Effects of Urban Crime

● Ethnic/low income groups more often victimized

● Lack of trust in police in city neighborhoods

Causes of Deed Restrictions

● Racism/Discrimination

● Jim Crow South laws

Effects of Deed Restrictions

● Black families could not own land in many places

● Increased segregation in American cities

Causes of Redlining

Racism/Discrimination

Effects of Redlining

● Poor neighborhoods become more rundown

● Cities & suburbs became more segregated

● Harder for black and ethnic families to own homes

Causes of Blockbusting

● Racism/Discrimination

● “Ideal suburbs” propaganda

Effects if Blockbusting

● Cities became more segregated

● White Flight from cities to suburbs in North America