blockbusting

Definition

The illegal and discriminatory practice of helping ethnic or minority individuals into predominantly non-ethnic or minority-dominated areas, and then using scare tactics to force current neighborhood residents to sell their homes at depressed prices. For example, a real estate broker would tell the current residents of an area that once the new, minority tenants move in that housing prices will tumble and crime will increase, even if this is not necessarily true. The broker will then buy up the cheaper homes at reduced prices.