Date of Award
12-2016
Degree Type
Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Kathryn Madden
Second Reader
Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger
Keywords
regression_analysis, redlining, discrimination, mortgages, community_development, segregation
Abstract
This paper analyzes home lending trends measured in dollars lent per census tract per capita in Worcester, MA, in order to determine whether anti-discrimination measures have been successful, and to suggest this framework for analysis and policy remedies for cities with similar challenges. When analyzed alone with Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and conventional lending by tract, proportional rates of African-American residency were found to be negatively correlated with conventional lending, and Hispanic residency was found to be negatively correlated with both conventional and FHA lending, rejecting the null hypothesis that race/ethnicity and home lending would have no observable relationship. When compared in multi-variate analysis alongside other neighborhood characteristics that could influence mortgage lending, however, rates of owner-occupancy, foreclosures, and median income were discovered to be strongly correlated with home lending trends, while race/ethnicity was not. Given these findings, there is insufficient evidence to conclude the active presence of discriminatory lending, but the sum of these analyses demonstrates a statistically significant link between low to median income, low homeownership, and Hispanic and African-American population in the city of Worcester.
Recommended Citation
Wiemann, Curtis B., "Evaluating Home Lending Patterns for Discrimination in Worcester, MA" (2016). Sustainability and Social Justice. 155.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/155
Worcester
Yes
