More than 50 years after Dr. King fought for equality, “it is apparent that the American dream of homeownership is not equally shared,” notes real estate firm Zillow’s chief economist Stan Humphries in a study coauthored by Zillow and the National Urban League. To build wealth in communities of color and reduce wealth inequality, the authors call for the removal of institutional barriers toward homeownership, such as policies that advocate arbitrarily high down-payment requirements, as well as an expansion of predatory lending protections.
Jennifer Brooks, Kasey Wiedrich, Lebaron Sims, Jr. and Solana Rice
Findings from the 2015 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard
One in five households regularly rely on fringe financial services to meet their needs. Nationally, 55.6 percent of consumers have subprime credit scores, meaning they cannot qualify for credit or financing at prime rates. In its 2015 Asset and Opportunity Scorecard, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) describes these and other difficulties faced by many Americans and breaks down disparities by race and state. The report also outlines how a combination of state policies such as protections against predatory lending and the establishment of housing trust funds can help families achieve economic security.
This new report from the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey quantifies the impact that community development corporations have had in New Jersey. Over the past 25 years, CDCs have added 82,000 jobs, contributed $12 billion to the state economy, and added $320 million to state tax rolls. The Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program, a 100 percent state tax credit that encourages private investment in low- to moderate-income communities, enabled New Jersey CDCs to leverage each dollar more than seven times over.
More than 50 years after Dr. King fought for equality, “it is apparent that the American dream of homeownership is not equally shared,” notes real estate firm Zillow’s chief economist Stan Humphries in a study coauthored by Zillow and the National Urban League. To build wealth in communities of color and reduce wealth inequality, the authors call for the removal of institutional barriers toward homeownership, such as policies that advocate arbitrarily high down-payment requirements, as well as an expansion of predatory lending protections.
Jennifer Brooks, Kasey Wiedrich, Lebaron Sims, Jr. and Solana Rice
Findings from the 2015 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard
One in five households regularly rely on fringe financial services to meet their needs. Nationally, 55.6 percent of consumers have subprime credit scores, meaning they cannot qualify for credit or financing at prime rates. In its 2015 Asset and Opportunity Scorecard, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) describes these and other difficulties faced by many Americans and breaks down disparities by race and state. The report also outlines how a combination of state policies such as protections against predatory lending and the establishment of housing trust funds can help families achieve economic security.
This new report from the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey quantifies the impact that community development corporations have had in New Jersey. Over the past 25 years, CDCs have added 82,000 jobs, contributed $12 billion to the state economy, and added $320 million to state tax rolls. The Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) program, a 100 percent state tax credit that encourages private investment in low- to moderate-income communities, enabled New Jersey CDCs to leverage each dollar more than seven times over.
