Our nation’s history is littered with a pattern of legal barriers, unfair lending practices, and discriminatory actions that have served to deny Black families equal access to the wealth-building effect of owning a home and enjoying property appreciation. Federal, state, and local policies and lending practices have contributed, from Jim Crow era race-based zoning to redlining, to unequal housing benefits under the GI bill, to benefit programs that steer Blacks toward rental housing rather than ownership opportunities. 

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Register Now for the June 2 Forum

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While these practices have been addressed legally over time, we live today with the impact of decades of their use. In fact, the Black and white homeownership gap of 30% remains as wide today as in 1968 when the Fair Housing Act passed and the national wealth gap remains a ratio of 10 to 1. 

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For low- and moderate-income families, homeownership is an economic foundation upon which financial futures are changed. According to the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, at the lowest income category, 92 percent of total homeowner net worth is tied to residential property value. Homeownership positively impacts educational achievement, health, civic participation, economic opportunity, and ultimately, generational wealth.

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Addressing the wealth gap should start with closing the homeownership gap. Long before COVID-19, our region struggled to produce enough affordable housing units to meet the need. Today, home sales are hampered by high prices, historically low supply, anemic levels of new affordable development, and insufficient down payment assistance. 

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What are the root causes of the supply issue? What are the capital needs of nonprofit and for-profit developers of affordable housing? Some local nonprofits are experiencing success in scaling up production. What can we learn from these models? What barriers need policy attention? What’s happening on the national level on these issues?

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Join our Forum moderator Bill Bolling on Wednesday, June 2, for our next Atlanta Regional Housing Forum as we answer these questions and more.

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OUR PRESENTERS:

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Forum Founder, and Moderator

Bill Bolling, Food Well Alliance

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An overview of homeownership rates in our region

Mike Carnathan, Atlanta Regional Commission

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The State of Housing in Black America

Mark Alston, National Association of Real Estate Brokers

Bilal Shareef, Empire Board of Realtists

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Successful models to expand homeownership

Lisa Y. Gordon, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

John O'Callaghan, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership

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Update from Washington on proposed programs

Kristin Siglin, National Community Stabilization Trust

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NOTE: Coming in August and October...

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 - The Need for Zoning Reform - Virtual

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - City of Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Forum 

The October Forum virtual/in-person decision will be made in the future. 

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Register Now for the June 2 Forum

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