{"id":1669,"date":"2011-12-06T19:39:35","date_gmt":"2011-12-07T00:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/?p=1669"},"modified":"2011-12-14T13:30:27","modified_gmt":"2011-12-14T18:30:27","slug":"draft-racial-change-in-the-hartford-region-is-it-affecting-our-schools-by-booker-evans-and-carlos-velazquez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/cssp\/2011\/12\/06\/draft-racial-change-in-the-hartford-region-is-it-affecting-our-schools-by-booker-evans-and-carlos-velazquez\/","title":{"rendered":"Housing in Greater Hartford: Does it Affect Education?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Housing in Greater Hartford: Does it Affect Education?<\/h1>\n

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Select suburbs in the Hartford region have seen a significant increase in residents of color over the past twenty years. Our focus for this project will be to explain this shift in housing values and how it affects schools and the neighborhoods where these schools are located.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Home<\/a><\/span>
Click to open in a new tab\/window. Map created by MAGIC, University of Connecticut (http:\/\/magic.lib.uconn.edu\/otl\/timeslider_homevalue.html)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


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The Home Index Value Map shows how many homes in Hartford have decreased in value (0.21-0.60). West Hartford has a much higher average home value (1.00-1.49), and Bloomfield, Windsor, East Hartford and Wethersfield all have similar average home values (0.60-1.00).<\/span><\/p>\n

Hartford and the towns which border Hartford are very unique in terms of racial composition. When you take a closer look at the racial composition of these towns (according to U.S. Census Data): East Hartford is 51.3% White; Hartford is 43.4% Hispanic, Wethersfield is 89.5% White; West Hartford is 79.6% White and Bloomfield is 54.1% Black. These percentages represent a portion of the total population in each of these towns, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a><\/span>
Click to open in a new tab\/window. Map created by MAGIC, University of Connecticut (http:\/\/magic.lib.uconn.edu\/otl\/timeslider_racethematic.html)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The map (above) shows Racial Change in the Hartford Region in 1990. The darker areas on the map represent concentrated areas where the non-white population is very high.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a><\/span>
Click to open in a new tab\/window. Map created by MAGIC, University of Connecticut (http:\/\/magic.lib.uconn.edu\/otl\/timeslider_racethematic.html)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second map (above) shows the racial composition of the Hartford Region in 2000. Over ten years there has been a significant increase in residents of color. Hartford has the lowest percentage of White population. The White population in Bloomfield is between 2-10% at most, which is the lowest of all of Hartford’s surrounding suburbs.<\/span><\/p>\n

After examining the maps, it was clear that more and more residents of color began inhabiting Hartford and many of the towns surrounding Hartford, with the exception of predominantly White communities such as West Hartford and Wethersfield. We began to look at sources that could provide more information about these trends.<\/span><\/p>\n

Explaining the Shift in Racial Composition<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to US Census Data [taken at the time], by 1970, the population in Hartford, CT was down to 158 thousand. In the decades preceding the 1970\u2019s, there was a clear shift in the racial makeup of Hartford\u2019s population. Jamaicans were coming to the city to participate in the labor demand in agriculture, for example. By 1960, the Puerto Rican population in Hartford was around 6,000. The Black population rose significantly as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As the city\u2019s minority population grew during the 50\u2019s and 60\u2019s, the whites who formerly resided in these areas were relocating to the suburbs, more importantly, almost entirely all-White suburbs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe lowest-income families were concentrated in the largely black North End, while more affluent families were in the western portion of the city near the West Hartford line…\u201d <\/em>(Weaver 1982: 137).<\/span><\/p>\n

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United States Federal Laws and Policies have also contributed to the decay of poor and minority neighborhoods in Hartford. Racial restrictions on mortgages and housing were
\npermitted by The Federal Housing Administration until the 1960s.<\/span><\/p>\n

One factor we considered could have been a causal factor for this shift was Reverse Redlining. \u201cReverse redlining occurs when a lender or insurer particularly targets minority consumers, not to deny them loans or insurance, but rather to charge them more than would be charged to a similarly situated majority consumer.\u201d [Muhammad & Ehrenreich, 2009]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This was practiced in Hartford and currently, Hartford has the lowest home values in the entire region. With lower home values comes dis-investment in neighborhoods. Banks are replaced with check cash institutions and social services offices. Neighborhoods in Hartford show clear signs of neighborhood tipping, or declining neighborhoods. [Examples of this are front lawns being mostly dirt (no grass) trash scattered on the streets, front or back doors of multi-unit complexes being constantly open (absentee owners), etc.]
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Reverse Redlining by lenders and real estate firms and red-lining by banks and other institutions have contributed effectively to the current state of many neighborhoods in the City of Hartford. It is important to note, that you cannot expect residents of any given community to be engaged in said community if others are not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Researching for the Project<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Upon inquiring for information from several Housing authorities both in Hartford and other towns in Connecticut, I was led in the right direction by Sophie Starchman, Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator of the West Hartford Housing Authority and a graduate of Trinity College.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPublic Housing Authorities are not lenders or insurers. However, we do use Fair Market Rents (determined by the Department of Housing & Urban Development) in Rent Calculations. For instance, if a Landlord requests a rent increase, then their Section 8 Tenant’s Caseworker will complete a Rent Reasonable calculation using FMR (included below), Income Limits, and information from the apartment. Some of the factors that affect the cost of rent for both minorities and non-minorities are: location, census tract, condition, accessibility, unit type, year built, square footage, # of bedrooms and baths, amenities, facilities, and provided maintenance\/services. \u201c<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In theory, using housing authorities as our starting point was a good idea. One flaw in our preliminary research was that we did not clearly understand the mission of the housing authority before we reached out to them. This is perhaps due to a lack of information on their part, as many of the websites we visited did not discuss the mission of the organization clearly, but rather, listed what they could offer clients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, we emailed the Principals of each of the largest High Schools in the Hartford region (Conard High, Wethersfield High, East Hartford High, Bloomfield High, Windsor High) and asked them about their schools and the neighborhoods where the schools are located. No one replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

My partner and I decided to take a different approach. We went out into each of the towns surrounding Hartford: Wethersfield, Bloomfield, East Hartford, Windsor and Hartford, and took photographs of the High schools and the neighborhoods where these high schools are located. All of the photographs used in this project belong to us. We did independent research and have cited the scholarly material where we found our information.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong>In the next section, we will discuss the towns surrounding Hartford, and provide possible explanations for the increase in residents of color inhabiting these areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Viewing The Hartford Region<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hartford<\/em>:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The City of Hartford is the Capital City of Connecticut. In 2010, Hartford was recorded as having a population of 124,775 people. There is a 29.8% White population, a 38.7% Black population and 43.4% of the population were reported as having Latino origin. In Hartford the median household income is $29,190 as opposed to the $67,721 median for the entire state.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hartford<\/a>
Hartford Public High School (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hartford Public School system is notorious for being a consistently below average school system. Statewide, the range (%) of students meeting state goal was between 42 and 55 % on the CAPT Test. At Hartford Public High School, the range of students meeting State Goal for all CAPT testing was between 1.9 and 6.6%. Similarly, average SAT scores ranged from 371-387 (out of a possible 800 points) where the Statewide average was between 503 and 507 (out of a possible 800 points).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Hartford<\/a>
Hartford Public High School (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/span>This is particularly concerning, given the fact that you are given an automatic 200 points on the SAT if you write your name correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Hartford,
South Marshall Street Neighborhood (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Travel Log: Hartford had much poorer neighborhoods that the other towns we visited. The South Marshall Neighborhood (by Hartford Public High School) was comprised mostly of apartment complexes. On the right side of the street we saw a Habitat for Humanity building site (funded by Trinity College Habitat Club). There were several kids and adults hanging in the neighborhood. Hartford High was the largest school we saw in our travels. Graffiti could be seen in many places around Hartford High and the surrounding neighborhood. Unlike many suburban communities, not everyone in Hartford has access to a painting workshop or a community center. Many youth especially in Hartford use graffiti is a method by which they can express themselves artistically.<\/span><\/em>
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Windsor<\/em>:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Windsor High School presents much diversity. 53.9% of the student body is Black; 31.1% of the student body is White and 10.3% of the Student body is Hispanic. Compared to other schools in surrounding districts, Windsor High has performed proficiently. CAPT scores are much closer to the State average: the range of students meeting state goal is between 28 – 45 % (State Average is between 45 – 60 %) .<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Windsor<\/a>
Windsor High School (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Furthermore, the range for SAT scores was between 455 – 470 (of 800 points) compared to the State average of 503-508 (of 800). Graduation rate at Windsor High is 90% (State Average is nearly 92%).<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Residential<\/a>
Residential Neighborhood, Windsor, CT (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\ufeff\ufeffThe town of Windsor is a suburb located directly north of the City of Hartford. Windsor is home to four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. At the time of the last full census survey the number of people in Windsor, CT was 28,237. 65% of the total population is White, while 27% is Black. 5% of the population reported being of Latino or Hispanic origin. The median household income for Windsor is $64,137 putting it right in line with the state average of $67,721.<\/p>\n

\"Windsor,<\/a>
Neighborhood next to Windsor High School Residential (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Travel Log: Upon entering Windsor, we saw the town center, which included a post office, banks, shops, a school and a masonic hall. It was clear that the neighborhood was prospering. We had to stop more than once for directions, and ran into a group of teenagers who wanted to lead us in the wrong direction, as we were trying to get to Windsor High School. Eventually, we found someone who lead us to the school. Once we got to the school, we examined the neighborhood. There were for the most part one family homes. It was a quiet suburb, and many of the homes had nice lawns and well kept gardens.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

West Hartford<\/em>:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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\"Conard<\/a>
Conard High School (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In our research, we examined West Hartford\u2019s Conard High School. Conard is a relatively diverse school, 11% of Conard\u2019s students are Black and 18.5% of students are Hispanic. Conard also has a size-able Asian community rounding out at 10%. The school\u2019s graduation rate is 95% and it\u2019s CAPT and SAT scores are above the state average. Conard continues to maintain an outstanding reputation. As recognized in Newsweek magazine, Conard is rated in the top 1% of American high schools for the number of Advanced Placement (AP) and college credit courses offered, exams<\/span><\/span> taken, as well as its efforts to prepare students for the AP exams. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"West<\/a>
Neighborhood next to Conard High School (Photo by Carlos Velazquez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the 1940’s, West Hartford included many neighborhoods which were racially restrictive covenants. Racially restrictive covenants refer to contractual agreements that prohibit the purchase, lease, or occupation of a piece of property by a particular group of people, usually African Americans. This practice became common in 1926 after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Corrigan v. Buckley,<\/em> which validated the use of said covenants. In towns such as West Hartford, racially restrictive covenants were used to concentrate the “wealth” and a certain population\/racial group in particular neighborhoods.
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Ms. Mary Everett moved into the Ledgewood Road neighborhood in West Hartford, Connecticut in the 1970s (formerly a racially restrictive covenant from the 1940s). In an interview conducted by the Cities, Suburbs and Schools project, Mary reflects on racially restrictive covenants, the changing racial composition of the population in West Hartford and the many years she has spent living there.<\/span><\/p>\n