‘We Could Have Lived Anywhere We Wanted To:’ Middle-Class Blacks Negotiate the Housing Market

Karyn LacyAssistant Professor

Department of Sociology and the Center for Afro-American and African Studies

University of Michigan

The Research Question

• To what degree does a middle-class status protect blacks from discrimination in the housing market?

Methodology

• Sites:2 suburban communities in Washington metro area:Riverton (predominately black) and Lakeview

(majority white)

• Data Collection: In-depth interviews with 30 MCB couplesEthnographic ObservationUndercover Interactions with realtors

Belief that Class Trumps Race

• Lydia: ‘I’m not sure…that we ever experienced

any kind of racial discrimination…the agents…all took us to predominately white neighborhoods. It wasn’t that they were trying to steer us toward any type of neighborhood. They were willing to take our money anywhere.”

Belief that Race is Still Salient

• William:“You can easily get discriminated

against…I caught the redlining…They have certain areas they’re not gonna introduce you to…[That’s] still the case.”

Identifying Racial Steering

• Lakeview Realtor:“Why do you want a new house?...With a new

subdivision, all you have is the newness. You don’t know who your neighbors are. Now, if you want a new home, there are new homes going up in [an area further north] in your price range. But don’t overlook the older homes…you’d be shortchanging yourself.”

Take-Home Points

• These MCBs realize housing discrimination exists, but don’t feel their housing options are severely limited by it.

• Class position provides some resources to counter housing discrimination.

• Findings inform policies and programs designed to encourage residential integration.