SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
A deadly tornado ripped through St. Louis one year ago, destroying thousands of structures. The city's historically Black communities were hit especially hard, and city recovery efforts have been slow. As St. Louis Public Radio's Andrea Henderson reports, some residents are giving up on the idea of ever owning homes again.
ANDREA HENDERSON, BYLINE: In 2007, Christie Jefferson-Bay (ph) purchased her dream home in North St. Louis. It's a predominantly Black area that's grappled for decades with vacant homes, blight and neglect. She landed on a two-story, white paneled home. It's within walking distance to an elementary school and a few miles away from her mother's home.
CHRISTIE JEFFERSON-BAY: We had to fight to look and find this place or whatever, and this turned out to be the ideal. This was our ideal place.
HENDERSON: Now the five-bedroom house has become a nightmare for Jefferson-Bay's family. It was one of 1,000 or so homes obliterated by a tornado this time last year. Jefferson-Bay had insurance, but it wasn't enough to take care of everything. She couldn't keep making mortgage payments on the house and afford rent where she's been living for over a year. So in the fall, she surrendered her home back to the bank. It's now in foreclosure.
JEFFERSON-BAY: The reality of it is you couldn't even afford to get it back together. The entire house is gutted.
HENDERSON: Black Americans have historically faced challenges when trying to purchase a home. There was redlining - the systemic denial of insurance or loans - and racially restrictive covenants to keep them out of certain communities. Black homeownership in St. Louis is 30%, according to recent census data. That's compared to 61% for white homeowners. Some Black homeowners in St. Louis who were displaced by last year's tornado say they aren't sure they'll ever be able to own homes again. The storm damage, along with skyrocketing mortgage and insurance rates, is pushing them out of the market. Ana Kent is a consultant on economic disparities based in St. Louis. She worries that if Black homeowners in North St. Louis give up on their homes, investors might buy the properties.
ANA KENT: That, of course, might create this pressure where they might be putting in a lot of money, which seems like a good thing on the surface, but it might displace other Black homeowners who maybe were able to or wanted to stay in that area.
HENDERSON: The city initially delayed widespread demolitions. It hoped the Federal Emergency Management Agency would agree to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to take over debris removal. It also wanted FEMA to reimburse the city for demolishing vacant or condemned homes that were damaged prior to the storm, which it typically doesn't do.
(SOUNDBITE OF CONSTRUCTION MACHINES OPERATING)
HENDERSON: The city scaled up demolitions this spring, but they've only torn down about 100 homes so far. In a recent statement, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said she is grateful for the city's partnership with the state helping to demolish properties that aren't eligible for FEMA aid.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOOR OPENING)
HENDERSON: In the meantime, residents like Debra Dupree (ph) are still waiting. Her two-story, red brick home was also devoured by the twister. She has insurance, but says since it's taking the city so long to demolish her home, she's starting to give up on the idea of home ownership again.
DEBRA DUPREE: Take the sore sight off the block. Maybe the block can look a little better without this house with the roof missing on it.
HENDERSON: At one point, Dupree thought of maybe putting a container home on her property. But...
DUPREE: I got to thinking, I'm 74 years old. Why do I want a home again? And I was like, well, let me just go to an apartment.
HENDERSON: St. Louis officials recently announced they are demolishing 120 more tornado-damaged properties, including Jefferson-Bay's. She worries her children will now miss out on that generational wealth.
JEFFERSON-BAY: I kind of, like, feel disappointed, like I failed them.
HENDERSON: Her kids weren't really interested in the home, but she hoped it could have been a place for them to return one day if something happened to her.
For NPR News, I'm Andrea Henderson in St. Louis.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE SHADY RECRUITS' "DECISIONS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.