Department of Housing and Urban Development

COVID’s effects worsen America’s racial wealth gap: Blacks own 22 cents for every dollar held by whites Closing gaps would create 1.7 million jobs, add $300-450 billion to the economy

As the global pandemic continues to take lives and infect multiple generations, virtually every dimension of life is challenged. And people with the fewest financial resources before COVID-19 are being challenged more than ever before.  

It is both a challenge and an opportunity for leadership in the Biden Administration, Congress, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with the private sector address to effect policies and practices that reverse the nation’s still-growing racial wealth gap. Tried and true wealth-building tools like targeted homeownership and expanded small business investments together would bring sustainable and meaningful changes to those who historically have been financially marginalized. 

Senate Confirms Marcia Fudge as HUD Secretary

“We applaud the confirmation of Rep. Fudge as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, responded in a statement. “Her appointment comes at a pivotal time when her leadership is sorely needed. The U.S. faces a severe housing crisis as millions of residents struggle to pay their rent and mortgages due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Dissecting President Joe Biden’s Racial Equity Agenda: ‘The Time to Act is Now’

There is new air surrounding the pillars of Capitol Hill, and within the first week of new leadership, Biden has directed his attention to the needs of the country. In addition to the concerns brought on by a global health tragedy, he has led his administration to focus on social equity. President Biden has been working diligently, making the concerns of underrepresented communities a priority in all federal agencies under his guidance.

The Homelessness Crisis – We Are Better Than This

There are half a million people, mostly men, mostly white, but way too many African Americans. African Americans are 13 percent of the population and 40 percent of the homeless. The homeless are primarily concentrated in California, New York, Florida, and Texas, but you can find them in almost any community. Two-thirds of the homeless are sheltered on a given night, but a third are sleeping on the streets, on park benches, in alleys, under awnings. To quote the late great Congressman Elijah Cummings, “we are better than this.”

Federal Lawsuit Challenges HUD to Enforce Fair Housing Rule Civil Rights and Housing Advocates Join Forces

Across the country, an estimated $5.5 billion in HUD funding is awarded each year. Nearly two-thirds of these funds go to approximately 1,210 grantees through HUD’s Community Development Block (CDBG) Grant program.  With this year’s rule suspension and continuing for several years, grant recipients – largely state and local government jurisdictions — can obligate their allocations without any concern for compliance with the Fair Housing Act rule.   

Racial Mortgage Disparities Persist as Federal Housing Enforcement Lags

Today, with much of the mortgage market recovered, unnecessarily tight and expensive credit in the conventional mortgage market often makes FHA the only option to finance homeownership for low- to moderate-income borrowers, lower-wealth borrowers, and borrowers of color. This single-option also means that borrowers broadly denied the lower-cost, most-affordable private loans available, have a slower rate of home appreciation due to fees and insurance that accompany government-backed loans.