This dissertation study investigated the relationship between structural racism, assisted living (AL) location, and public and private governance. Market demand and property values have driven the development of ALs in the US, possibly leaving them more vulnerable to historic redlining and land covenants than nursing homes, which were constructed under federal subsidy programming. Based on this history, the "racism as a root cause" framework and theories of structural racism inform the study conceptual model, wherein structural racism causes disparities in access to AL, but public and private governance factors moderate this effect. The empirical relationships put forth by this model were assessed using an observational, cross-sectional approach, relying on linear and comparative analytic methods.