Fewer than 50% of Black and 54% of Hispanics or Latinx Coloradans own their homes, compared with nearly 75% of white Coloradans.
There are so many factors influencing this disparity and we must explore how we can provide stability and the opportunity to begin to build wealth through homeownership.
Goals
Reduce cost-burdened households. No racial/ethnic disparity.
Best Practices
Reduce land costs by changing zoning codes (density, parking, Accessory Dwelling Units).
Expand partnerships between the BIPOC community and traditional lenders.
Increase use of land trusts.
Maximize publicly and privately owned land to build affordable housing such as parking lots at hospitals or school district land to build workforce housing.
Increase down payment assistance programs and first-time homebuyer incentives for broader income range.
Change public policy to reward employees who are advancing their earnings by slowly reducing assistance.
Work with banks, philanthropy, and other funders to increase available funding.
Establish better incentives – or requirements – for building affordable housing.
Explore large employers entering the workforce housing development space.