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A strong coalition is a powerful weapon in the fight against systemic inequality. Homeownership Equality Research Organization (HERO), a nonprofit aimed at housing inequity, is working alongside real estate and mortgage professionals to ensure Black communities receive assistance to purchase a home.
Homeownership is a primary key to building wealth, but there is an alarming gap between Black homeowners and those who are white. Often, the underrepresented group doesn’t even have a fighting chance to successfully apply for a mortgage due to multiple factors such as little to no credit. To level the playing field for Black people in America, Ashley D. Bell and Dr. Bernice A. King have joined forces in shaking up the traditional mortgage lending industry. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ashley D. Bell (@ashleydbell)
Wells Fargo’s alleged discriminatory loan practices seem to be coming with consequences as New York City has announced it will no longer open new depository bank accounts with the company, according to an official letter. AfroTech has been tracking the findings surrounding Wells Fargo’s lending practices, and as we just told you, information released by Bloomberg suggested half of the Black applicants who were looking to refinance their homes were rejected. More recently, we reported Wells Fargo received backlash for allegedly rejecting lower interest rates for Black homeowners leading to a proposed class-action lawsuit in San Francisco, CA. In response, it appears New York City is taking a stand against Wells Fargo’s alleged actions in an official statement released Friday, April 8 by Mayor Eric Adams and Comptroller Brad Lander. “As the Mayor and Comptroller of New York City, a diverse community where Black homeowners own and are the primary residents of more than a quarter of...
Wells Fargo will be furthering their efforts toward racial equity in homeownership. According to a press release, the bank giant has pledged $210 million to support minority families as they navigate homeownership. “Wells Fargo has long been a leader in lending to minority families. These efforts are an important next step and will help close the homeownership gap between white and minority families created by decades of systemic inequities,” said Kristy Fercho, CEO of Wells Fargo Home Lending, according to a press release. “We are taking meaningful action by reimagining the homeownership journey to support minority families in realizing the dream of homeownership.” Wells Fargo will allocate $150 million to reduce refinancing costs and to ensure minority homeowners have access to more affordable mortgage rates. Wells Fargo’s action will be supported by a Special Purpose Credit Program (SPCP). Minority homeowners who are serviced currently by Wells Fargo will receive support to...
Wells Fargo will be facing a lawsuit for alleged discriminatory practices. As AfroTech previously reported, Bloomberg revealed various Black applicants hoping to refinance their homes were denied at an alarming rate in comparison to white homebuyers. Already, U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, and other Democratic senators are keeping their eyes on Wells Fargo following Bloomberg’s recent report. As a collective, they are calling for regulators to look into Well Fargo’s refinancing practices during the pandemic. “Black applicants are further subjected to delays, feigned mistakes, and other obstacles, leading many Black Americans to withdraw their requests for refinancing, and leading others to wait indefinitely while Wells Fargo refuses to act upon their applications,” the complaint read, according to Bloomberg. Wells Fargo issued a statement exclusively to AfroTech following the Bloomberg News report. “We remain focused on pursuing our $185 billion...
Black Americans were short-changed amidst a promising time for refinancing home loans. According to Bloomberg’s analysis of federal mortgage data, Wells Fargo rejected nearly half of Black applicants who were looking to refinance their homes. Worsening matters, the banking giant approved applications for more lower-income white applications than the highest-earning Black applicants. Engineer Mauise Ricard III experienced Wells Fargo’s rejection firsthand after paying $560.43 to refinance his home in the suburbs of Atlanta. Richard was married to a doctor and had a credit score boasting over 800. The loan officer affirmed he could qualify for a fast-track appraisal. Yet, what should have been a clear green light turned into a string of issues. Bloomberg reports, Richard’s former home was in a predominantly Black neighborhood and he was told by the loan officer “perhaps the area is not eligible” for fast-track appraisal. Later, the loan officer told Richard his rate would increase by...
Gentrification has swept many Black neighborhoods across the nation, forcing many residents out of their own neighborhoods. While many communities struggle to regain control of their neighborhoods, South L.A. is working to be a model for how to promote Black homeownership and combat gentrification. Music manager Daniel Carter started Buy Back the Block L.A. — an initiative to help educate South L.A. residents on how to fight gentrification by buying properties in their neighborhoods — in the wake of Nipsey Hussle’s death as a call to action for his community. According to Carter, Hussle’s death “left a huge scar in the community,” Curbed Los Angeles reports . “I felt like at one point his spirit kind of burst into a million pieces and everybody got a little piece. I feel like our piece of it was this real estate thing.” Carter’s effort to continue Hussle’s mission for more Black ownership sparked a campaign to rally brokers, house flippers, and loan officers together to educate...