The conversation doesn’t stop here! Deepen your understanding of systemic racism in housing with the resources below.
The racial homeownership gap
There is a clear racial homeownership gap; the rate of homeownership for white households is 74%, compared to 44% for Black households and 49% for Hispanic/Latinx households
What we’re reading
The following list of highly acclaimed books are great resources to gain a better understanding of the history of racial discrimination in housing. We recommend that you add one (or all of them!) to your reading list:
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
- Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Affordable homeownership is Habitat Wake’s area of expertise, and we recognize the racial disparities in homeownership. Read one of our previous blog posts by former CEO, Kevin Campbell, and board member, Kia Baker, to learn more.
Our current favorite articles
The articles listed below dive into the details of race and housing, both locally and federally. Check them out for a quick read on these key issues.
- The Neighborhood Is Mostly Black. The Home Buyers Are Mostly White - The New York Times (2019)
- Escalating rents, flat wages driving a housing crisis in many NC communities - The NC Justice Center (2019)
- How Homeownership Became the Engine of American Inequality (Published 2017) - The New York Times (2019)
- How Wealth Inequality Impacts Lack Of Affordable Housing - WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
- The Case for Reparations - The Atlantic
Highlighting other organizations
Habitat Wake is not alone in our efforts to bring awareness to the long history of racial discrimination in housing. There are a variety of community-based organizations working to achieve an equitable future. Some of those organizations include:
- ONE Wake
- North Carolina Justice Center
- Southeast Raleigh Promise
- WakeUP Wake County
- Fair Housing Project NC
We know there are many organizations doing this work and not all are represented on this list. Let us know if you would like us to add your organization.
