A Review of the Status of Black Renters, 1970–1980

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Abstract
Our review indicates that during the 1970s, the majority of urban black renters did not improve their housing status. Relative to urban renters as a whole, those who are black still pay more, live in older housing of poorer quality, and face restrictions in locational choices even when their incomes make such choices possible. This suggests that 10 years of federal intervention to promote housing access has had a limited impact on housing conditions of black renters. Housing policy must be framed in terms of availability, affordability, and adequacy. Programs based on such policies must be designed and delivered so that both common and diverse needs of black renters are addressed in a manner that produces observable outcomes. A shift toward more local discretion in housing policy and service delivery may or may not be a more effective way of achieving these objectives. The merits of this approach have been widely debated and generally questioned by advocates for the black community. In our view, the issue is not one of federal versus local control, but rather that policies and programs be effective and that their outcomes can be substantively demonstrated. Without this, the rhetoric of national, local, and ethnic politics regarding housing access will continue, leaving the status of the majority of black renters virtually unchanged.

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