Removing Racist Covenants

By C.J. Boyd

October 4, 2024

Frequent readers of the Ward 3 newsletter may recall that earlier this year, we published a story about the Richland Heights East Neighborhood Association removing racist covenants from their property deeds. If you’re not familiar with the history of deed covenants and restrictions excluding people of color, especially Black, Chinese, and Mexican Americans from living in neighborhoods around Tucson and most of the US, here is a great summary of the work done by University of Arizona Assistant Professor of Geography Jason Jurjevich. 

https://news.arizona.edu/news/mapping-racist-covenants-how-uarizona-geographers-research-informed-new-arizona-law

The state of Arizona just made it easier for residents to remove racist covenants by passing Senate Bill 1432 earlier this year, which just went into effect last month. While the racist language has not been legally enforceable since the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act), Jurjevich’s work has helped bring attention to these racist restrictions, and an increasing number of homeowners have been motivated to amend their covenants to remove the racist portions of the deed restrictions. Jurjevich himself began this project of Mapping Racist Covenants after he and his husband went through the ordeal of buying a house that included a deed restricting his African American husband from being able to live in the house. 

^{Jason Jurjevich, a University of Arizona professor in the Geography Department.}

Prior to Arizona Senate bill 1432, a property owner or the HOA would have to garner support from neighbors to change the covenants. Now that this has been signed into law, those parties are able to file for the changes directly without organizing their neighbors to support the move. Even so, some neighbors are still talking about these restrictions more directly, and some are banding together to remove the racist language not just to their own property deed, but whole areas. Inspired by Vista Del Monte Neighborhood Association’s work along this path (as well as Richland Heights East and other Tucson neighborhood associations), Samos Neighborhood is currently pursuing that route as well. 

A map of all covenants recorded on subdivisions in Pima County before 1968. Subdivisions whose deeds still include racist covenants in the county record are shown in dark magenta.

Neighborhood Associations or individual home owners who would like to remove the racist covenants from their property deeds can reach out to our office and we are happy to connect you to other neighbors who can help facilitate the process.