Independent Lens

Owned: A Tale Of Two Americas

Owned: A Tale of Two Americas weaves together the history of mid-century housing policy in America and the ramifications of the 2008 housing market collapse. In 2008, the U.S. housing market became the epicenter of an unprecedented global economic collapse. In the years since, protests in cities across the country have highlighted the stark racial disparities that define much of America. The crash of suburbia and urban unrest are not unrelated, the seeds of each germinated by the United States' post-war housing policy. Over time, racist policies have created subcultures in our built environments that are inherently vulnerable and makes clear our society can't continue to thrive in a segregated state. The stories of a retired New York City police officer, an eccentric Southern California realtor, and an ambitious real estate developer in Baltimore embody the promise of U.S. housing policies and the systematic oppression still plaguing many American cities. Ultimately, the communities created by the country's housing history may have more in common than they expect.