California Community Builders

OCT 24TH - VIP AWARDEES: CCB is pleased to announce that California State Treasurer, Fiona Ma, CPA and Laura V. Arce, UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS) SVP for Economic Initiatives, will be joining the Dream Builders dinner & celebration as honored guests and awardees! RSVP today: https://lnkd.in/gXvXvXY4 Treasurer Ma and Ms. Arce are two leaders working to expand homeownership, wealth building, and prosperity for all communities — in California and throughout the nation. We are so proud that these two leaders will be our inaugural Dream Builder award recipients! A big thank you to our presenting sponsor U.S. Bank, and generous event sponsors JPMorganChase and HR&A Advisors!

"But the golden promise of cities is cracking. In the past decade and a half, a steep rise in housing costs has flipped the equation for lower-skilled workers. A study published last year in the Journal of Public Economics found that instead of enjoying an urban wage premium, non-college-educated workers now effectively pay a penalty for living in a city." Great article from James Rodriguez at Business Insider. Give it a read! https://lnkd.in/g4_9c6KR

Key Findings and Recommendations » Significantly higher demand for homeownership in majority non-white neighborhoods, with loan applications more than double those in majority white neighborhoods. » Black and Latino homeseekers face greater challenges in accessing mortgages, experiencing higher levels of high-cost loan originations and mortgage denials than white individuals, with the exception of Asians. » Predominantly white neighborhoods receive higher and more consistent levels of mortgage financing — a trend that is reinforced by the high spatial distribution of adverse loan outcomes in majority non-white neighborhoods. » Policies should address rising home prices, high interest rates, and limited housing supply. Recommendations include creative down payment assistance programs, first-time homeownership tax credits, and prioritizing vulnerable communities. » Expanding the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act dataset to provide credit score indicators would more accurately monitor and assess discriminatory lending patterns of financial institutions.

“By understanding zoning’s role in our lives, we can look for ways to make land use laws and policies more inclusive and leverage them to connect, rather than divide, our communities.”

This research highlights the crucial link between neighborhood composition and mortgage lending outcomes, aiming to spark meaningful change and drive policies that promote equitable homeownership and address systemic disparities. As always, it was an honor to work alongside Jose Loya and Adam Briones, who are at the forefront of advocating for housing equity.

Congratulations to Kathryn Greenler and Jose Loya of UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies for their excellent new paper, "Ethnic, Racial, and Neighborhood Mortgage Inequality: The Case of Los Angeles, Fresno, and Sacramento." CCB is proud to have been the client for this thoughtful, important analysis of mortgage lending in LA, Fresno, and Sacramento. As we think about increasing housing supply, it is important to remember that mortgage access will be a key ingredient in ensuring that all communities benefit from needed land-use reforms. Please give it a read! https://lnkd.in/gQpCt--Y

Fantastic podcast from our good friends Alex Schafran and Nikki A. Beasley on homeownership and what it means for racial equity! Give it a listen!

Tunua Thrash-Ntuk of The Center by Lendistry and Adam Briones of California Community Builders shared this insightful piece on how CDFIs can impact the housing market in American Banker.

Adam Briones, CEO of California Community Builders and I have co-authored an op-ed in American Banker addressing the pressing housing affordability crisis. Our piece explores how community development financial institutions (CDFIs) can create innovative financing solutions for middle-density housing, including ADUs. This approach not only boosts affordable housing supply but also offers sustainable benefits like reduced sprawl and emissions. Let’s push for more inclusive homeownership opportunities, especially for communities historically left behind. Check out our op-ed and join the conversation on transforming housing finance! The Center by Lendistry