Abstract

In the United States, homeownership is crucial for building intergenerational wealth and fostering households’ economic stability. In an attempt to make amends for racial discrimination in housing markets and racially-targeted public policies that have resulted in dispossessions of black property and wealth, such as urban renewal programs, numerous municipalities, and community organizations have enacted initiatives in recent years aimed at increasing black homeownership. This study uses a case study comparison method in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these initiatives. We describe, compare, and evaluate initiatives to increase black homeownership in right to return policies, community land trust, housing grants, municipal policies, and non-profit organization actions. We consider these programs’ effects on housing supply, affordability, accessibility of finance, and homeownership preservation. We employ a framework that considers the expansion of individual choice, the preservation and promotion of community, and both restorative and redistributive justice in order to analyze programs. We argue that understanding the political underpinnings of racial capitalism in the housing market is paramount to creating solutions. On a macro-scale, decentralizing local policymaking can build networks between civil interests to tackle mutually reinforcing systemic racism in broad and specific infrastructure that persists in local government. Even though we do not ignore direct results, further research suggests a more substantial objective of a progressive political fair housing movement is not the achievement of any one specific quantifiable goal but structural changes in policy formulation and decision making that prioritizes equity and social justice. While also having the effect of opening the processes of policy-making to marginalized citizens and community organizations. Further research could investigate the omitted cases and federal legislation that can be applied to local government’s fair housing enforcement and, as more fair housing initiatives arise, continue to make this study relevant over time.

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