In Gilpin, VA the average life expectancy is 63 years. Just a short drive over the James River sits Westover Hills, a largely white, middle-income neighborhood that greets visitors with rows of massive oak trees spreading their leaves over quiet boulevards. Life expectancy there is 83 years. This isn’t an accident. Decades of racist housing policies have left many communities vulnerable to extreme heat and other social factors that impact health. While many are optimistic about Richmond’s efforts to focus on racial equity in the urban landscape, there still much work to be done.
How Decades of Racist Housing Policy Left Neighborhoods Sweltering
"Residential Security Map" of Union County, New Jersey, created by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), 1939. Grade A (green) areas were deemed safest for mortgage loans, while Grade D (red) areas were deemed too risky for mortgage loans. Source: National Archives and Record Administration