African American mayors urge Tim Scott, Congress to address racial disparities in homeownership 

The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) on Tuesday issued a letter to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) commending his new housing act, but calling for more resources to be provided for affordable housing as a way to help end racial disparities in homeownership. 

Scott, who announced his candidacy for president this week, introduced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act (or ROAD to Housing Act) in April. The act would review federal housing policy while also introducing reforms across the entire housing market.

In a letter to Scott, the AAMA urged him to include increased funding to “modernize and reimagine public housing.”

“If Congress gives mayors the tools to build more affordable housing, we will deliver,” said Shawyn Patterson-Howard, mayor for Mount Vernon, New York and the association’s president. 

“We are confident that we can make tremendous progress in closing the Black-White homeownership gap — and in turn, the Black-White wealth gap — if we build more housing and continue to invest in fair housing enforcement as we approach the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act,” added Patterson-Howard. 

The ROAD to Housing Act would give families better access to financial literacy tools and provide Congress with data to analyze costs and delays in affordable housing. The act would also provide Congress with stats on how agencies collect data on homelessness and affordable housing to provide insight into policy making. Finally, it would incentivize housing and service providers to reduce the number of people who are homeless.

“I grew up the son of a hardworking single mother in an apartment that we rented. I didn’t achieve the dream of homeownership until later in life. But my story is not unique,” Scott, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, said upon announcing the act.

“Unfortunately, federal housing policy has done little to address the affordability of housing. It’s too expensive and too far out of reach. It’s past time we take a comprehensive look at how we pave the road to housing for all Americans. By providing targeted reforms across all segments of the housing market, we can empower families to achieve the dream of home ownership.”

But racial disparities in homeownership in America have persisted for decades. In 2020, the rate of Black homeownership was the same as it was in 1970, despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, according to the Department of Treasury. 

In 2022, the homeownership rate for white Americans in 2021 was nearly 75 percent, but only 45 percent for Black Americans. Hispanic Americans fared slightly better, with 48 percent of homeownership.

The AAMA are calling for increased funding for Department of Housing and Urban Development programs like the Public Housing Operating Fund, which provides subsidies to housing authorities (HAs) to help in fund things like maintenance expenses.

The group is also calling for increased funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund, which provides funds for developing, financing, and modernizing public housing developments, and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a program that supports struggling neighborhoods.