Redlining is a discriminatory practice that puts services—usually financial services—out of reach for residents of certain areas based on race or ethnicity. Redlining is illegal.

Evidence of redlining is the systematic denial of mortgages, insurance, loans, and other financial services based on location—and that area’s default history—rather than on an individual’s qualifications and creditworthiness. Notably, the practice of redlining is felt the most by residents of minority neighborhoods.