History
Though, racial steering and blockbusting deterred people of color from buying homes in certain neighborhoods, the contribution of redlining allowed federal government agencies to deny people of color federal loans; as a result, the chance to capitalize off of a once in a lifetime housing opportunity was denied based on race. According to Connecticut History, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) established in 1933 created “residential security maps to assess the “trend of desirability” in residential areas of Hartford and over 200 other cities during the late 1930s” (Connecticut History, 2014). As a result, areas with poor grades were deemed “undesirable” and received less funding from the federal government. Without the resources to obtain subsidized housing voutures or loans, people of color were forced into neighborhoods like Bloomfield and Hartford, and excluded suburbs like South Windsor and Burlington (UCONN, 2012). Even today, Hartford remains segregated by race and class.
Community Partner Context
The Neighborhood Revitalization Zones (NRZs) were established by law in Connecticut in 1955. Their objective is to revitalize communities with the involvement of residents, businesses, and government. Our community partner, South West and Behind the Rocks NRZ began in 2013 after a community meeting held at Moylan School, attended by fifty leaders from the two neighborhoods. Their goal is to improve the quality of life in both neighborhoods by addressing issues such as education, housing, economic development, safety, beautification, and other related matters.