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Poverty In America Essay

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According to the World Bank, “47 percent of Americans live below the poverty line”.There have been many problems revolving around poverty in America for many decades. “What is poverty?” you may ask. Poverty takes place when a person lacks the financial resources and needs for a certain kind of lifestyle. There are many types of poverty such as situational, generational, and urban poverty. The causes of poverty in America could be linked to racism, classism, and unfair housing practices.

There is definitely a relationship between racism and poverty. Racial poverty is a form of social and economic inequality that disproportionately affects minority populations. When it comes to real important things such as homeownership and wealth in America, …show more content…

Residential segregation is any kind of housing discrimination that is provoked by gender, race, national origin, disability, or any other category. These kinds of practices can be exemplified in many forms such as denying a person housing related services or placing restrictive criteria while leasing to a tenant. Residential segregation is a serious issue that affects many people and communities all over America. Even though unfair housing practices are illegal under local, federal, and state laws, these specific practices often root from racism and inequity. Not only do these practices deny people from housing access they would normally be qualified for, but this can also have a wave effect on communities. This also causes people mostly of color to have a much scarce access to safe and affordable housing. For example, landlords may reject people's housing requests because of their gender, race, and immigration status. This may also cause the increase of rents or larger deposits for African Americans than Caucasian Applicants. This traps people in poverty because it makes it difficult for most people with melanated skin to find housing within their price range. Furthermore, besides denying housing, landlords may also discriminate in the services they provide for their tenants. They may provide fewer maintenance and quality repairs to African American tenants than to Caucasian tenants. This can ultimately lead up to unsafe living conditions and bother the ability of people to uplift themselves out of poverty. Practices of unfair housing can also lead to lack of access to services such as healthcare and education. For instance, if African Americans are coerced to live in impoverished and dangerous communities, their kids may not have access to a quality education. With this occurring it can limit their economic prospects.

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