For more than fifty years, researchers at the Urban Institute have been on the frontline analyzing data related to household formation and demographic trends. The Urban Institute’s research reveals
that the rate of African-American homeownership has remained at roughly the same level as it was in 1968, when the Fair Housing Act was enacted. How and why is that possible?
Alanna McCargo, Co-director of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, recently compiled and publicized a list of heavily-researched resources to educate those in the industry regarding the importance of expanding equal housing opportunities as well as to advocate and advance new
strategies that will help overcome barriers to entry.
Below are several of the latest works published by the Urban Institute and How Housing Matters:
• Are Gains in Black Homeownership History?
– Researchers Laurie Goodman (Co-VP of HFPC), Jun Zhu (HFPC), and Rolf Pendall (Metro) highlight data, trends, and severity of these issues pointing out how all gains made over the past 50 years were lost after the 2008 housing crisis.
• Homeownership and the American Dream
– Laurie Goodman and Christopher Mayer (Columbia University) take a deep dive into the U.S. homeownership market from international, demographic, and financial benefits perspectives, only to find that homeownership is a valuable institution and concluding that now many have too little faith in homeownership as part of the American Dream.
From their work: “Homeownership rates for black households have fallen every decade for the last 30 years, both unconditionally and after controlling for income and demographics. Even in 2015, black households with a college education are less likely to own a home than white households whose head
did not graduate from high school.”
• Black Homeownership and the American Dream: An Expert Dialogue
– in this dialogue, Alanna McCargo (Co-VP of HFPC), Rolf Pendall (Institute Fellow in Metro), along with Richard Rothstein, author of the book The Color of Law and other wealth building and homeownership
experts, discuss the racial disparities and trends in homeownership, the impacts of segregation, homeownership as a tool for wealth building, and possible policy solutions.
• A Closer Look at the 15-Year Drop in Black Homeownership
– in this blog post, Laurie Goodman, Alanna McCargo, and Jun Zhu focus on the decline of black homeownership rates and look at specific cohorts of the black population, by age and by family structure. Notable findings:
- A striking drop in homeownership for middle-aged black household heads (ages 45-64)
- A sharp decline in homeownership for married black couples, a group that is traditionally the most likely to own homes
• Mapping the Black Homeownership Gap
– Alanna McCargo and Sarah Strochak (HFPC) highlight the geographical spread of the black homeownership gap compared to other groups across the country, concluding that understanding the geographic dynamics of wealth and homeownership are important to determine how to best bridge
these gaps.
• Three Goals for Restoring Black Homeownership
– Rolf Pendall and Carl Hedman (Metro) discuss the causes of the black homeownership decline and present three approaches to revive black homeownership: make it easier for renters to become homeowners, sustain established homeowners, and invest in predominantly black neighborhoods.
Popular Articles
Consumer FAQ: Benefits of Adding Rent and Utility Data to a Credit File
Advantage of Adding Rent and Utility Data whitepaper
Credit with a Conscience fact sheet
Driving Financial Inclusion with Data and Analytics fact sheet