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Burlington Commission on Human Rights, 1964-1965

Report on Urban Renewal Programs and Their Effects on Racial Minority Group Housing in Three Iowa Cities - Page 21

4. Summary and Conclusions

One fact clear to the Iowa Advisory Committee as a result of its studies was that there exists massive racial discrimination in housing in Iowa. For example, in the three cities in which the Advisory Committee held meetings, urban renewal officials agreed that, of available rental property, between 90 percent and 95 percent of the owners of such property refused to rent to Negroes.

Moreover, it appeared to the committee that racial discrimination in housing in Iowa, as in the Nation, has at least three facets. the first concerns the homeowner, who because of personal prejudice or neighborhood pressures, is unwilling to sell his home to a minority group member. The second concerns information which came to the Committee of instances in which the owner was willing to sell his home to a minority group member but where his realtor, for reasons best known to himself, told the prospective buyer that the house was not for sale to a member of a racial minority. Finally, the Committee was told of cases where the homeowner and the realtor were both willing to consumate the sale, but where lending agencies refused to provide the necessary finances to purchase a home in a "white" neighborhood, although the prospective buyer was offered the same amount of mortgage money to purchase a home in a "Negro" neighborhood. A number of variations on these three themes were also presented.

The absence of city officials, with the exception of two members of the Urban Renewal staff, from the Des Moines meeting, indicated to some members of the Advisory Committee the extent of official municipal  indifference or antipathy to the problems of urban renewal and relocation. The Committee feels that this attitude is unlikely to improve in the near future since, in a recent election in Des Moines, each of the four successful candidates took a stand against a proposed open-occupancy housing ordinance in his campaign.

The Committee recognizes that the problems inherent in non-discriminatory Urban Renewal and Relocation carry with them a two-fold responsibility vested in both the Federal and local governments. Although final responsibility for the solution of these problems rests with the Federal Government, local governments must assume their own responsibilities in the matter within their communities. Indeed, the Committee feels that the city should not be content with token compliance with Federal law, but representing an

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4. Summary and Conclusions One fact clear to the Iowa Advisory Committee as a result of its studies was that there exists massive racial discrimination in housing in Iowa. For example, in the three cities in which the Advisory Committee held meetings, urban renewal officials agreed that, of available rental property, between 90 percent and 95 percent of the owners of such property refused to rent to Negroes. Moreover, it appeared to the committee that racial discrimination in housing in Iowa, as in the Nation, has at least three facets. the first concerns the homeowner, who because of personal prejudice or neighborhood pressures, is unwilling to sell his home to a minority group member. The second concerns information which came to the Committee of instances in which the owner was willing to sell his home to a minority group member but where his realtor, for reasons best known to himself, told the prospective buyer that the house was not for sale to a member of a racial minority. Finally, the Committee was told of cases where the homeowner and the realtor were both willing to consumate the sale, but where lending agencies refused to provide the necessary finances to purchase a home in a "white" neighborhood, although the prospective buyer was offered the same amount of mortgage money to purchase a home in a "Negro" neighborhood. A number of variations on these three themes were also presented. The absence of city officials, with the exception of two members of the Urban Renewal staff, from the Des Moines meeting, indicated to some members of the Advisory Committee the extent of official municipal indifference or antipathy to the problems of urban renewal and relocation. The Committee feels that this attitude is unlikely to improve in the near future since, in a recent election in Des Moines, each of the four successful candidates took a stand against a proposed open-occupancy housing ordinance in his campaign. The Committee recognizes that the problems inherent in non-discriminatory Urban Renewal and Relocation carry with them a two-fold responsibility vested in both the Federal and local governments. Although final responsibility for the solution of these problems rests with the Federal Government, local governments must assume their own responsibilities in the matter within their communities. Indeed, the Committee feels that the city should not be content with token compliance with Federal law, but representing an 21