Residential Inequality: Orientation and Overview

Where people live reflects and affects their position in society. This tenet is implicit in the American Dream, which promises access to desirable homes, neighborhoods, and communities for those willing to work hard enough. As recent events remind us, however, effort alone does not guarantee fulfillment of the dream. Natural disaster, recession, mortgage foreclosure, and escalating (and plummeting) housing prices are among the forces that have already thwarted residential aspirations in the US during the new century. The difficulty that many immigrants to the nation face in achieving their housing and neighbor hood goals is another current concern. Over a longer period, the discriminatory practices of real estate agents and lenders, preferences for neighbors similar to oneself, marked income inequality, and government policies and programs have perpetuated spatial divides by race and class. Here, Lee et al examine the sorting-inequality nexus during an era of unprecedented demographic diversity, rising economic uncertainty, and shifting public policy.