Research shows that homes in communities of color are consistently undervalued by, in some cases, over $1 million.
The racial gap in home appraisals is present and growing in every major U.S. city, with homes in predominantly white neighborhoods appraised at almost triple the values of homes in neighborhoods made up of people of color, report Brentin Mock and Marie Patino for Bloomberg CityLab.
According to new research from University of Illinois Chicago sociologist Junia Howell that seeks to isolate racial factors in home appraisals, “These disparities stem from a number of causes, including historic discriminatory practices and the modern appraisal approaches that perpetuate them. But they can also reflect prejudices on the part of appraisers.”
In expensive cities like San Francisco and New York, the difference in average appraisals topped $1 million, signaling a huge loss of potential wealth-building opportunities for Black and brown families. “In other less-expensive metro areas like Charleston, South Carolina, the dollar differences were lower, but the disparity was even worse.”
The industry is starting to acknowledge the problem. “In 2021, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation released a study that found that housing appraisal discrimination is ‘pervasive’ throughout the industry. The conversation now among federal authorities and appraisal professionals is how to craft reforms to root it out.”
FULL STORY: Racial Disparities in Home Appraisals Exist in Every Major US City
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
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