HKS Affiliated Authors

Excerpt

March 22, 2023, Paper: "The persistently wide homeownership rate gaps between Black, Hispanic, and white households mean that households of color are disproportionately excluded from the many potential financial and social benefits of homeownership. These inequalities did not appear overnight but rather are the result of past and present policies and racist housing practices that specifically excluded non-white households from owning homes. Addressing these inequalities calls for new policies and programs to support homeownership for these historically disadvantaged households. Downpayment assistance is one such program that has the potential to overcome a lack of savings, which is one of the most significant barriers to buying a home and is a consequence of the historical barriers to homeownership among people of color."