The home became “the center of freedom” in the 50s with the number of houses in the United States doubling in that decade with most of the new homes being built in the suburbs.  Although the suburbs “offered a new site for the enjoyment of American freedom” (Foner), this freedom was not universally available. There were rigid racial boundaries characteristics of the new suburbia. Foner states that as late as the 90s, nearly 90% of suburban whites lived in communities with non-white populations of less than 1%.  It is quite unfortunate that housing segregation was fueled by the government, real-estate developers, banks and even residents

During this suburban boom, federal agencies continued to insure mortgages that barred resale of houses to non-whites (Foner). Despite the fact that in 1948 the Supreme Court declared it illegal, banks and private developers barred non-whites from the suburbs and whats more the government only subsized mortgages in segregated areas (Foner). Unfortunately, suburbanization hardened the racial lines of division in American life (Foner).  Despite the fact that old ethnic divides were fading away, the racial barrier in housing continued to be reinforces well into the 90s.