Redlining Maps of the Bay Area

Background: Redlining was at play in the Bay Area well before the wartime boom, illustrated by the following HOLC analyses of the city of Berkeley from 1937. One section of the city, labeled D-2, had a “scattered” presence of “Oriental” and Black families, and was classified hazardous for home loans. To the north, the A-1 section was home to “professional and business men, executives, and retired capitalists,” with no foreign-born population, no Black residents, and “no threat” of the “infiltration of undesirables.” Unlike the poorer, heterogeneous neighborhood of D-3, this area received a large amount of Federal Housing Authority money to finance exclusionary single-family homes. The following analyses are abridged versions of full ratings.

Name of City: Berkeley

Security Grade: Green

Area No.: A-1

Inhabitants type: Professional and business men, executives, retired capitalists

Foreign-born: No concentration

Negro: No

Infiltration of: undesirables—no threat

Buildings: Mansion type, single family

Clarifying remarks: This section is known as Arlington Heights, Thousand Oaks Heights and North Cragmont and is one of the most active residential districts of the East Bay area. A great amount of Federal Housing money has been used in financing homes in this area. A long time loan plan, at small monthly payments attracts buyers at prices high in proportion to rental values. Zoned first residential, single family, deed restrictions prohibit Asiatics and Negroes. The lower, more central part of the area would be classed as High Green, whereas in the extreme upper part and that part near D-1 [a “hazardous” grade], rating would be only Green to Low Green. Of all the residential construction in Berkeley in 1936, forty percent was in this area . . .

Name of City: Berkeley

Security Grade: Red

Area No.: D-2

Inhabitants type: White collar workers, salaried, tradesmen

Foreign-born: Latin & Nordic

Negro: Scattered

Infiltration of: Orientals

Clarifying remarks: Northeastern part of area, north of University, could be classed as High Yellow, but for infiltration of Orientals and gradual infiltration of Negroes from south and north. District zoned for unlimited residential. There was only one duplex built in 1936, however. There were thirty-two Oriental and twenty-five colored families in this area in 1935, when infiltration survey was made. These are scattered over entire area with predominance in southwestern part. Several blocks in south central part of the area . . . are free of infiltration due to deed restriction. The surrounding blocks are all scattered with Orientals and colored. Therefore, this entire area must be classed as hazardous. Good loans are possible if hazards are taken into consideration.

Source: HOLC Maps of Berkeley, University of Richmond Digital Scholarship Lab, Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America. http://ashpc.ml/x7hcg3; http://ashpc.ml/2t2j7g.