The quick answer is racial disparity in home ownership
To: National Desk, Business Reporter
Contact: Valerie Coffin, 410-467-6111 Allison Conyers, 202-547-2500 both of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, ACORN has released a study documenting racial and economic disparities in the mortgage lending market. The report analyzes data on a national scale and in 115 metropolitan areas. Nationally, the study finds that in 2002 African American homebuyers were more than twice (2.38 times) as likely to be denied a conventional purchase loan than were white borrowers, and Latinos were rejected one and a half times (1.63 times) more often. This disparity is greater than it was in 2001, and an even bigger increase from what it was in 1997. In some cities the differences are still more dramatic.
Racial disparities remain even when controlling for income. African American and Latino borrowers are more likely to be denied credit than white borrowers in the same income category. Upper income African Americans are more likely to be rejected for conventional purchase loans than white applicants whose incomes are less than half as large.
Residents of low income neighborhoods, regardless of race, are more likely to be denied mortgage loans than residents of higher income communities. Residents of low income neighborhoods were 2.98 times more likely to be turned down for a conventional purchase loan than residents of upper income neighborhoods
On the positive side, while minority borrowers continue to get far less than their fair share of conventional mortgages, there has been a meaningful increase in the volume of loans going to Latino borrowers, and the share of loans going to Latino borrowers is increasing.
While the national homeownership rate rose very slightly to 68.1 percent in 2002 there remains a 26.5 percentage point difference between white and African American rates of homeownership, a gap that is the same size it was last year, and only less than one half a percent smaller than it was five years ago. Hispanic families have made a little more progress, but they are still behind, and still have the lowest rates of homeownership in the country. In 2002, 74.7 percent of white families owned their own homes, compared to only 48.2 percent of African-Americans and 47.5 percent of Latinos. If minority families owned homes at the same rates as whites of similar ages and incomes, the United States would have an additional 3.2 million minority homeowners.
To decrease the lending disparities found in the report, ACORN recommends changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act that Congress is presently considering. Other recommendations address subprime lending and increased funding for housing counseling and fair housing programs.
Additional National Findings Include:
-- African Americans comprise 13 percent of the population, but receive just 5.1 percent of conventional purchase loans. This is a slight increase from last year, but a decrease from 1997, when they received 5.5 percent of such loans.
-- Latinos comprise 12.5 percent of the U.S, population, and received 8.5 percent of purchase loans, up 13.3 percent from 2001, and an increase of 60 percent from 1997.
-- Low and moderate income neighborhoods, including people of all races, comprise 25.7 percent of the country, but receive just 11.3 percent of conventional loans.
-- Higher cost subprime lenders originated 26.37 percent of the conventional purchase loans made to African Americans, 19.96 percent of those made to Latinos, and 7.5 percent of those made to whites. About 3/4 of the total increase in conventional purchase lending to African Americans since 1997 is accounted for by subprime loans, which have default and foreclosure rates 5, 10, and even more times higher than those for 'A' loans.
"Owning a home makes a tremendous difference in families' lives, and in their futures," said ACORN president Maude Hurd. "That is why it is so important that more be done to make sure that families have a fair and equal chance to buy, and keep, a home. It is an outrage that minority borrowers continue to be denied loans so much more frequently," she continued. "Lenders need to do better, and regulators and legislators need to demand more. Progress in increased lending to Latino borrowers is a good sign that things can change - it needs to continue and to expand to include everyone who has been unfairly shut out of the American dream."
The report is available to reporters online with a password prior to the release date.
------ ACORN is an acronym, and each letter should be capitalized. ACORN stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. ACORN is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 150,000 member families organized into 700 neighborhood chapters in 60 cities across the country. Since 1970 ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to our members. Our priorities include: better housing for first time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools. We achieve these goals by building community organizations that have the power to win changes -- through direct action, negotiation, legislation, and voter participation.
New Study Finds Increased Racial Disparity in Nation's Mortgage Lending
Subprimes were around for a while . Easing the requirements for obtaining them was the problem.