Just-Released HUD Publication
Expanding Equitable Opportunities in Housing
In October 2022, Enterprise Community Partners hosted its 40th Anniversary Conference in Washington, DC. Affordable housing advocates, housing investors, and policymakers discussed strategies to increase the upward mobility of low-income households, address racial inequities in housing, and invest in affordable housing. In a panel titled “Advancing Equity and Inclusion: Reconstructing Housing Policies and Practices,” participants explained how disinvestment in minority communities, along with past discrimination, has led to intergenerational inequities in housing, the accumulation of wealth, and educational attainment. Panelists discussed strategies to build wealth among African-Americans and low-income families through reparations, service delivery, and social impact investment.
What was discussed:
(1) Racism's impact on DC's Bread for the City clients.
Washington, DC nonprofit Bread for the City has begun discussing the impact of racism on its clients, who are predominantly African-American. The organization is part of the Anti-Racist D.C. coalition, through which local leaders are engaged in a multisector dialogue to devise strategies that repair the harm caused by racist policies toward minority communities. Its primary mission is to provide food, clothing, health care, financial assistance, and other social services for families in need. Client families have an average annual income of $10,000, and few own their homes. Reparations likely will be at the center of the nonprofit’s antiracist agenda, and such payments could be used to finance a down payment on a house, a small business, or higher education, helping to close the wealth gap. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated housing vulnerabilities for low-income households and minority communities, and it widened the wealth gap between minority households and White households.
(2) Housing costs and interest rate hikes are making attaining homeownership difficult for low-income households.
The Fifth Third Bank and Enterprise Community Partners have partnered to reverse such trends through the Empowering Black Futures Neighborhood Program. Active in 9 underserved neighborhoods in seven states, the program fosters economic mobility for African-American residents by channeling $20 million in investments for small businesses, mortgages, and neighborhood revitalization. These investments will support communities such as the Avondale neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is working to revitalize its central business district, spur small business development, and preserve and construct affordable rental units and homes for sale.
(3) TriStar's Community Impact Fund.
TriStar, an Atlanta-based real estate investment company, operates a community impact fund to finance affordable housing development and social services for residents, many of which are tenants who work in the service industry and are unable to afford monthly rents between $600 and $700. At the height of the pandemic, TriStar has an eviction relief fund that raised approximately $12 million, and, through partnerships with 330 Atlanta landlords, it helped over 4,000 families avoid eviction. TriStar buys properties in neighborhoods with low-performing schools to help reduce school transiency and improve neighborhood stability by keeping rents affordable. Through partnerships with local school districts and health clinics, it provides summer camps, afterschool programs, and medical care. Tenant association meetings are held to foster networking among neighbors that can lead to employment and educational opportunities. Such community efforts can build trust among neighbors, service providers, and landlords.
(3) JPMorgan Chase's Racial Equity Commitment.
In 2020, JPMorgan Chase launched its $30 billion Racial Equity Commitment, a 5-year investment that supports affordable housing, homeownership, access to banking and capital, and small business growth. This commitment includes a Racial Equity Initiative of $221 million in a New Markets Tax Credit program equity from 2020-2021 to support the development of affordable rental projects. In 2021, it gave 12,000 home loans ($4 billion) to minority households, opened 10 community center branches in low- to moderate-income and minority neighborhoods, and hired over 100 managers to build relationships with local leaders, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses.
(4) Need for commitment to antiracism among community leaders, housing advocates, and government officials.
Measuring progress toward achieving racial equity will require close attention to trends in homeownership rates, household income, and educational attainment. Developing trust between social impact investment companies and marginalized communities is critical for delivering services meeting residents’ needs and strong partnerships. Access to alternative credit underwriting systems for those unable to get credit through traditional means are important.
Source: HUD User's PD&R Edge, January 24, 2023.
