Addressing Injustice

Over the past week, we have witnessed in awe as communities across the U.S. have turned frustration and agony into momentum that can transform our nation’s future. The pain of injustice is clear. The need to change is urgent.

No single policy can correct a history of intentional inequality or address generations of injustice. The change we need requires a portfolio of policies that work together, like the many voices that have risen in a unified plea to reckon with our nation’s inequities.

Housing policy has been a significant contributor to the disparity in our communities and to the systemic racism that we are (hopefully) finally confronting. It goes far beyond the exclusionary zoning, redlining, and restrictive lending that have been overtly discriminatory. The inextricable link between poverty and race has segregated our communities and condemned many black Americans to seemingly insurmountable disadvantage. The long history of disparities in education, employment, health, and justice have escalated and deepened the chasm between have and have not, between white and people of color. It’s not a coincidence that homeownership has unfairly eluded many black Americans, with damning consequence for the sustainability of communities and for the individual capacity to build wealth that can be invested in current opportunities like education and also transferred to future generations.

We believe in the power of homeownership to transform lives and raise up communities. Restoring and expanding access to this element of the American Dream is one of many critical reforms needed to correct social and economic inequality. Like you and with you, we are standing for justice, equity, and opportunity.

Together, we listen – we learn – we care.