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themshelves's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
mohawkm's review
5.0
An important and tough read about how the private-public partnership in creating better housing options (and pushing home ownership) for the poor and for Black Americans in the 1960s and 1970s was severely flawed and taken advantage of. Particularly disappointing to read how much the real estate industry determined to keep two markets: one for white customers, who would pay more to keep separate, and one for Black customers, to trick them into homes that were falling apart. Great detail on appraisals (although infuriating) and on the markets in Michigan especially.
maryreadstoomuch's review
4.0
4.5 stars - it took me a little while to get into the book but it picked up after the first chapter.
Taylor is very thorough and persuasive in laying out her argument of "predatory inclusion" - the end of redlining certainly didn't mean the end of discrimination. It was hard to read these horror stories of people conned into buying houses in terrible condition and to learn how these public-private partnerships benefited banks/investors instead of home buyers. The end of the book is a gut punch - Taylor ties the pivot away from equal housing and other Great Society programs to the general breakdown of the social contract. Really illuminating - I would recommend to anyone interested in policy and social justice.
Taylor is very thorough and persuasive in laying out her argument of "predatory inclusion" - the end of redlining certainly didn't mean the end of discrimination. It was hard to read these horror stories of people conned into buying houses in terrible condition and to learn how these public-private partnerships benefited banks/investors instead of home buyers. The end of the book is a gut punch - Taylor ties the pivot away from equal housing and other Great Society programs to the general breakdown of the social contract. Really illuminating - I would recommend to anyone interested in policy and social justice.
nadavdavid's review
4.0
A very dense read but learned a lot about the history of federal housing policies through the author’s lens of “predatory inclusion” and how those policies have reinforced racial capitalism and the US economy’s reliance on private ownership / private corporations as a means to delegitimize and disinvest in public goods.
ntab's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Finally finally got my brain in shape to tackle the hefty paragraphs of this very insightful book. Laser focused on the intersectionality of race and gender in cities just like Philadelphia and St. Louis and how market-based solutions are inherently flawed as they replicate the same racist structures that created the problems; in this case, segregated metro areas, dual markets, and intentionally-neglected housing. Also very well written. The rat attacks opening chapter is unforgettable.
ishdaya's review
5.0
Wowwwww. This book was incredibly insightful, and really takes you through a winding journey of housing policy between the late 60’s and early 70’s. This book is a brilliant analysis around root causes behind how historic housing policies failed. Each page takes like 5 minutes to read because of its density (at least for me), but I came out of each session reflecting on how we have taken some of these same concepts and implemented them and have continued to fail because we continue to look to the private sector or the ‘free market’ as a tool of advancement, rather than seeing it as a racist and defunct tool of oppression. Really well done, really dense, but so well worth it!