RACE and housing

The history of segregation, discrimination, and unequal access to housing continues to plague communities across our nation, including our own.

In 1900, Arlington’s population was 38 percent Black/African American and there were 12 distinct areas in which they lived. By 2010, that population had shrunk to 8.2 percent. Over the decades, the squeeze of physical walls, restrictive deed covenants, zoning, gentrification, rising housing prices, and waning options have forced many of Arlington’s Black residents to leave.

Today, only three Arlington neighborhoods have rental units that are affordable to a median-income Black household (earning $59,000) while all but two neighborhoods are affordable to a median-income white household (earning $135,000).

While Arlington’s population has grown to include immigrants from all over the globe, housing in our County remains segregated. In fact, in many ways zoning rules that govern Arlington’s residential areas have become more restrictive over time, while only a small part of the county’s land was made available to meet the growing housing needs of the area.

In 2020, a nationwide reckoning with the legacy of racism began in the wake of the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of the police and as communities of color are disproportionately ravaged by the Coronavirus pandemic.

We know that we have outdated systems in place that have benefited some while leaving others behind because of the color of their skin. As the County prepares to update its Affordable Housing Master Plan and continues its Missing Middle Housing study, we must ask ourselves: Are we ready to dismantle the walls of indifference once and for all, and build an Arlington where people of all walks of life are welcome and can afford to live?

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