Housing and Racial Wealth Inequality Laser Talk


August 1, 2019

Support policies that increase access to housing and reduce the racial wealth divide

Engage : I’d like to talk about racial wealth inequality. The median wealth for white families is 8-10 times greater than the median wealth for Hispanic or African American families.

Problem: Housing and wealth are inextricably entwined. With low-income families, particularly families of color, spending most of their income on rent, they are perpetually trying to stay afloat and thus unable to move up the economic ladder.

Illustrate or Inform: Access to safe, stable housing is critical, and impacts many parts of our lives including education, health, and nutrition. When households are forced to pay high housing costs, their spending on other necessities, like food, transportation, and health care are cut. [If you have a story, share it here].

Call to Action: RESULTS urges you to address our affordable housing crisis and close the racial wealth I specifically urge you to:

  • Support the creation of a “renters’ tax credit” to help low-income families cover the cost of rising rent
  • Increase the supply of affordable housing via the National Housing Trust Fund.
  • Address other barriers to affordable housing and racial equity issues including restrictive zoning, credit scores, and application fees.
  • Target homeownership policies for first-time homebuyers impacted by segregation and redlining to reduce racial wealth inequality.
  • Pass bipartisan bills to create an Affordable Housing Task Force to study the scope of the affordable housing crisis and recommend solutions.

 All current U.S. Poverty Laser Talks (Word)

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