Black ghetto Quote by Matthew Desmond
““When tenements began appearing in New York City in the mid-1800s, rent in the worst slums was 30 percent higher than in uptown. In the 1920s and ’30s, rent for dilapidated housing in the black ghettos of Milwaukee and Philadelphia and other northern cities exceeded that for better housing in white neighborhoods. As late as 1960, rent in major cities was higher for blacks than for whites in similar accommodations.11 The poor did not crowd into slums because of cheap housing. They were there—and this was especially true of the black poor—simply because they were allowed to be. Landlords””
About This Quote
Source Book: Evicted, Matthew Desmond, 2016
Housing segregation persisted because landlords exploited racial bias, charging higher rents to black tenants even in substandard conditions.
In simple terms: Black renters paid more for worse housing due to discrimination.
Key Takeaway
Address systemic housing discrimination.
Themes
housing inequality
racial discrimination
economic exploitation
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
sociological
historical
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- tenant advocacy
- fair housing enforcement
Key Concepts
structural racism
market dynamics
urban policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern policy close rent gaps?
- What role do landlords play in perpetuating segregation?
A Different Perspective
Historical data shows rent gaps despite similar units.
