“Geography of Opportunity”
On a nationwide level, there is a huge discrepancy in the level of “opportunities” that are available from neighborhood to neighborhood. In reality, depending on the neighborhood, city, region, or state, you live in, your quality of life, success in the future, and ability to thrive in modern day society puts you at either an advantage or disadvantage. According to the report, “People, Place, and Opportunity” done by the Kirwin Institute, in order to achieve success in today’s world, you need an “access to opportunity”. This entails, however is not limited to, “…obtaining a quality education, living in safe and affordable housing, being connected to employment networks, living in a community that has access to fresh, healthy foods, and a variety of features similar to these” (Kirwin 1). These places that provide “access to opportunity” however have a disturbing and undeniable trend nationwide. The research done in Connecticut indicate that the cities that offer the “lowest opportunity access” are predominantly inhabited by those of minority groups—particularly African Americans and Latinos. Subsequently, it is evident that those of the Caucasian ethnicity are put at an immediate advantage in life and are more likely to achieve socio-economic success than those marginalized from society.
Various measures have been done to provide housing to those who are not as economically fortunate. Numerous neighborhoods around the country contain subsidized family housing units for those that fall below the poverty line. In Connecticut, nearly “60% of all subsidized family housing units are located in areas with low access to opportunity,” which in effect makes it difficult to achieve any sense of status or self-worth in society. Unfortunately, this trend does not solely pertain to Connecticut. In reality, this is a trend that is prominent throughout the nation.
Why is this you might ask? Why is it that these subsidized family housing units are essentially only built in these neighborhoods of low opportunity? These units are not constructed to benefit these residents and assist them with achieving a better of quality life. In reality, it seems as though they are constructed to ensure that the residents remain marginalized from society and remain segregated from the Caucasian population. Although there have been various reformations in the housing policies of America
(such as the Fair Housing Act), the numerous policies that have been enacted in our history have “shaped the landscape of opportunity” and this landscape still exists today (Kirwin Institute, 14). Some of these policies were just blatant examples of discrimination; however there are unjust ones that remain today that are legal, simply because they are phrased in a way that mask their underlying intentions.
One of these policies is called “exclusionary zoning.” Exclusionary zoning is basically a formal policy that does not appear overly
discriminatory to the untrained eye; however, it is solely in effect to preserve and essentially promote segregation. Exclusionary zoning entails (but is not limited to) putting “restrictions or bans on multi-family development, minimum lot sizes, age-restricted
zoning, and low-density zoning [which] limit[s] the opportunities for low-income families or people of color to
move to the suburbs, for both renters and owners” (Kirwin, 20). A study conducted by the Housing Center of Great Boston showed that “80% of the census tracts with restrictive zoning were either very-high or high-opportunity tracts, compared to 43% in remaining tracts” (Kirwin, 20). This statistic just shows how there is clearly an interest on behalf of the government to keep the rich, rich and the poor, poor…and in addition to that: keep them entirely separated. To keep these neighborhoods of high opportunity away from minority groups and individuals that could essentially jeopardize the neighborhood’s “esteemed status”, the exclusionary zoning policy makes the neighborhood unattainable to these individuals. Making the prices of the homes in these wealthy suburbs very expensive is just one way to preserve the neighborhood’s racial composition. Additionally, the homes are constructed on large land lots, are rather lavish, and are predominantly single-family homes. Consequently, this policy makes it incredibly difficult for subsidized housing units to be built in affluent neighborhoods and thus ensures that the minor
ity groups and those that are not as financially stable remain marginalized from society in these areas of “low opportunity”.
Sources:
“People, Place, and Opportunity: Mapping Communities of Opportunity in Connecticut” A Report Commissioned by Connecticut Fair Housing Center.
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