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Redlining in Canada
Rounding it up
Redlining is when banks deny mortgages to people based on group characteristics, notably their race.
The practice comes from Franklin Roosevelt’s Housing Administration, which granted mortgage loans to white people living in “green” areas, and denied lending to foreign-born and Black people from “red” areas.
Redlining has had lasting effects on wealth inequality, as people who grew up in the red-zoned neighbourhoods had a more difficult time building intergenerational wealth.
Canada has also seen redlining; a prime example being the history of Africville.
Redlining continues to happen in Canada; many immigrants and people of colour face discrimination from banks, landlords, developers, and even online.


Daniel Mcintosh
Daniel is a GTA-based freelance writer and editorial professional whose work has appeared in This Magazine, KOHO Financial, and Yahoo Finance. He is a pandemic graduate with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ryerson University. When not writing, he can be found hiking southern Ontario trails.
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