Redlining in real estate is the practice of systematically denying services like loans, mortgages, or insurance to residents in certain areas based on their race or ethnicity. It was a discriminatory practice primarily targeting Black, Latino, and other minority communities. The term “redlining” comes from the red lines drawn on maps by lenders or insurers to mark areas they considered too risky to provide services to, often due to the racial or ethnic composition of the neighborhood. Here’s how it worked historically: