Understanding our history of Redlining can help us think more deeply about the underlying causes of trauma in our communities and how we need to respond to this complex issue.

​This presentation by the Polk County Housing Trust Fund will share how structural racism is embedded into our systems and the impact that has had on people of color in Central Iowa. We will then discuss the implications of our work to address ACEs. Attendees will receive an agenda and certificate of completion to apply for continuing education credits.

About Redlining: 
In the 1930s, President Roosevelt created a variety of federal departments and programs that would bring America out of the Great Depression. This action is known as the New Deal and its impact on families across the country was mostly positive. However, with the creation of the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), a system now known as Redlining came into existence. This home valuation and mortgage risk assessment system embedded Jim Crow-era segregation and inequality into cities across the United States. Maps of cities were developed to show which neighborhoods were best for investment and mortgage loans and which were not. These maps, known as Redlining maps, told banks where and whom they should provide money. This practice is how structural racism and inequality were designed into our cities and built environment. And the impact and consequences have never been undone.

For questions, please email Sarah Welch.
Learn more about Central Iowa’s Undesign the Redline exhibit here.