Renters of color pay higher security deposits, more application fees
Results from Zillow's Consumer Housing Trends Report show renters of color typically submit more applications — and pay more in application fees — before they secure a place to live than white renters do. Renters of color also typically pay a higher security deposit when they move in.i The U.S. rental market is as competitive as it's been in decades, with the national vacancy rate lower than at any time since 1984.ii Rent prices have skyrocketed, up a record 17% in just the past year, prompting some priced-out renters to look for a more
Morehouse College Students Win Zillow’s HBCU Hackathon with App That Flags Looming Affordability Challenges for Renters
SEATTLE – Zillow’s HBCU Housing Hackathon, which drew more than 150 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), awarded top prizes to teams that innovated to help at-risk renters and struggling first-time home buyers. The top three finishers in the hackathon, created in collaboration with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) , Black Tech Ventures (BTV) and Amplify 4 Good, won over the judges with projects that offer solutions to barriers in the housing journey. A team of four Morehouse College students won first place and $20,000 for its program that uses machine learning to
Netflix commits $25 Million to the “Equitable Path Forward” Initiative to Counter Racial Inequities Rooted in Housing
by Kelly Washington Netflix Incorporated and Enterprise Community Partners (“Enterprise”) announced Netflix’s $25 million commitment in Equitable Path Forward. Enterprise’s new five-year, $3.5 billion nationwide initiative will help dismantle the deeply-rooted legacy of racism in housing – from the types of homes built, where they are made, who builds them, and the wealth that the homes generate. After decades of systemic racism in housing, from government-sanctioned discrimination like redlining and race-based federal mortgage programs to restrictive deed covenants based on one’s skin color, to predatory lending and discriminatory property
Women more likely to face housing insecurity in pandemic-led recession
The pandemic-led recession is disproportionately hurting women in the workforce and is more likely to threaten their housing security. A new Zillow analysis finds women are more likely than men to be unemployed, renters and caregivers during the coronavirus pandemic, thereby increasing their risk of becoming severely cost-burdened by housing. The pandemic has been a startling setback for women who had been narrowing the gender gap in recent years. At the beginning of the year, more women than ever before were in the workforce, incomes were rising along
Housing Discrimination: How Does it Affect You?
By Anthony O. Kellum Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (prohibiting the discrimination of the sale, rent and financing of housing based on gender, national origin, race and religion) sought to eradicate housing inequality and segregation, which was the norm of the 20th Century and in many ways still is today. Although the act of 1968 was designed to erase discrimination, the actions of the federal government and numerous financial institutions played a “critical role” in the creation and endurance of racist housing policies (Forbes Article, A Look
Black Homeownership Is More Expensive According to New MIT Study
Currently, American mortgage rates are at an all-time low. However access to those rates are incumbent upon excellent credit scores and a 20 percent down payment. Previous data has shown that on average, Black Americans have lower credit scores and less savings. New research released by MIT earlier this month indicates that for Black Americans, the dream of homeownership is more costly to become a reality. Inequities in mortgage interest payments ($743 annually), mortgage insurance premiums ($550 annually), and property taxes ($390 annually) 'make it impossible for