Is Black homeownership in America better than 100 years ago? Well, it’s complicated.
Homeownership is the cornerstone of the American Dream and, for good reason, home equity is the largest source of wealth for the typical American family. As of the first quarter of 2021, non-Hispanic white households had a homeownership rate of 73.8% compared with a rate of 45.1% for Blacks.
Compare that to home-buying rates in 1920. Then, just a year before the Black neighborhood of Greenwood was destroyed, owning a home was much more difficult for everyone (regardless of race) – down payments…
