This past week, my city declared racism a public health crisis. Here are some reasons why this is so important for all of us:
1/

Until 1948, Black and Latino families were blocked from buying and renting homes in white neighborhoods, forcing them into areas more prone to flooding, located near polluting factories and freight rail, and eventually, within breathing distance of our Federal Highway System 2/

Because majority-minority neighborhoods were considered “risky for investment,” both private and public sectors funneled money to wealthier, whiter areas, leaving families of color with crumbling infrastructure, under-maintained housing, and second-rate services. 3/

Though keeping minorities out of n’hoods is now illegal, the effects of these older policies persist. Example: minority homebuyers are still “shown fewer homes…quoted higher loan rates and offered fewer discounts on closing costs,” says the Fair Housing Ctr of Greater Boston. 4/

Today, single-family-only zoning and restrictions that dictate minimum lot sizes, minimum square footage, and high parking minimums achieve similar outcomes to racial covenants. 5/

Along with hyper-segregation achieved through zoning, public transit was disinvested, forcing Americans either into car ownership or to endure long, arduous bus commutes. This dual reality of auto dependency and underfunded public transit is problematic for all of us… 6/

…But especially affects lower-income households who are disproportionately Black and Latino. According to research at Harvard, poor families that are far from work are likelier to stay poor. 7/

Racism is also a public health crisis due to a layering of other policies: For example, Black and Latino workers are more likely to hold jobs that lack health insurance and paid sick leave, making them vulnerable to job loss in the event they or a family member gets sick. 8/

Blacks and Latinos are more likely to live in food deserts where fast food is cheaper and more accessible than fresh foods, meaning they are more likely to suffer from nutrition-related health issues such as diabetes. 9/

Sadly, the list of ways racism impacts public health is too long to list here, but it includes educational access and outcomes, maternal and infant safety in utero and at childbirth, and lack of adequate health research involving people of color. 10/

(sidenote: much of this thread is covered in greater detail in my new book, Faith in Cities: How Better Places Make Better Neighbors, available now)

Here’s a small (and very incomplete) list of ways we can begin to address the public health needs created by racism in our built environment: 11/

1) End exclusive single-family zoning. While this doesn’t mean single-family homes can’t be built, this action allows other low-density housing types to be built everywhere by right, like duplexes, backyard cottages (ADUs), fourplexes, and townhouses. 12/

2) Relocate freight rail and rail yards. Often found in minority n’hoods, freight rail not only contributes to air pollution, which worsens asthma and other lung problems, it is also noisy and disrupts healthy sleep patterns. Moving these to nonresidential areas is vital. 13/

3) Fix our streets. Esp. where historic public investment has been lacking, make sure streets have sidewalks and trees, add bus shelters and protected bike lanes, improve stormwater capacity, and reduce vehicle speeds to protect our neighbors from serious injury and death. 14/

4) Reinvest in transit. Wide streets should be made slower, safer, and greener, especially as more cities add multifamily housing along these corridors. The best way to do this, while also increasing access to opportunity, is to dedicate space to transit (bus and rail). 15/

5) De-politicize affordable housing. Housing for low- and moderate-income families often faces objection by neighbors on unfounded claims that they increase crime and depress nearby home values. Eliminate the role of elected officials in allowing or disallowing this housing. 16/

6) End source of income discrimination. Some landlords refuse to rent to Housing Choice Voucher holders (formerly Section 8), for fear that low-income families make bad tenants. This is a myth. The decision to rent should be based on ability to pay, not source of income. 17/

7) Ensure racial diversity on planning and zoning boards. It will remain a challenge for cities to view land use decisions through an equity lens if the boards making those decisions don’t reflect the diversity of its people. Bonus: include renters on these boards as well. 18/

8) Consider property tax relief for long-time owners AND tenants. To encourage long-time residents to remain in urban neighborhoods as they become more expensive, look for ways to relieve their tax burden, including pass-through benefits to long-time renters. 19/

9) Require neighborhood associations and HOAs to be more representative of the neighborhood. Rules should ensure people of all races are welcome, along with renters, parents of young children, and other underrepresented groups. 20/

10) Redeploy economic development dollars to preserving minority businesses. Particularly during this crisis, supporting businesses that are minority-owned and employ primarily minorities is crucial. 21/

You can find my city’s resolution declaring racism a public health crisis here: https://www.sanantonio.gov/gpa/News/ArtMID/24373/ArticleID/19335/City-Council-Officially-Declares-Racism-a-Public-Health-Crisis

End.