While the pursuit of private property ownership is a distinctly American obsession, for many everyday Americans, this dream remains stubbornly elusive. Although the current housing market reflects increasing demand for property in a low supply market, the data consistently supports a historical truth: many consumers of color find themselves barred from obtaining real estate. In fact, Black Americans are statistically less represented than any other racial or ethnic group in the country, with only a 42 percent homeownership rate; Hispanic-Americans are only slightly ahead at 48.1 percent. [1] To this day, housing discrimination is among the most prominent examples of legal and industry-specific practices intended to spatially isolate racial and ethnic minorities. While the underlying intent to legally segregate homebuyers remains the same, the private institutions that engage in such discriminatory practices have morphed over the last few decades from homeowner associations (HOAs) to regional banks.

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