SPOKANE, Wash. – A Black Spokane resident was not allowed to secure a quality bank loan to purchase a home in 1955. That legacy still impacts the racial composition of the city’s neighborhoods today.
It was not until the passage of the US Fair Housing Act in 1968 that discrimination in the sale of housing to Black Americans was banned.
Redlining, the practice of using housing and banking policies to racially segregate cities, had a profound impact on the Lilac City and separated the East Central neighborhood from the larger community.
Racial segregation was also affirmed by racial covenants which prohibited Black Spokanites from buying houses in certain neighborhoods. While not legally enforceable today, the language of those racist policies is still in some South Hill housing deeds according to the Spokesman-Review.
Regional organizations are using National Fair Housing Month to highlight the importance of equitable access to housing.
The Northwest Fair Housing Alliance is conducting a fair housing survey which will remain open until April 7. The City of Coeur d’Alene offered a statement in observation of the month on Tuesday.
On a federal level, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development will host an online ceremony commemorating the passage of the Fair Housing Act on April 11.
While advocacy organizations and government agencies celebrate past progress in equitable housing, segregation continues to pose a challenge to disenfranchised communities.
