Housing
Access to safe and affordable housing provides stability and a means for building wealth and economic mobility.
Why Housing matters for racial equity:
California is in the midst of an ongoing affordable housing crisis where a profound shortage leaves far too many low-income communities of color without residential stability and all too often houseless. The majority of the state’s tenants are from communities of color, who have historically faced barriers to access housing. More than half of these tenants are housing cost-burdened, causing them to be vulnerable to increased rents and at risk of potential evictions. The exclusionary discrimination practices in the housing market have generated a volatile cycle for people of color, leaving them with lower homeownership rates, higher-priced loans, and living in segregated neighborhoods with less access to public resources.
What we find:
Across the housing issue area, we see that Black, Latinx, and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Californians generally endure more significant disparities than other racial groups. They are less likely to own a home and more likely to face challenges paying rent or experience homelessness.
Key Takeaways.
Housing
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Policy levers:
Confronting the housing crisis is a significant priority for Californians. In addition to being inhumane, it has the long-term ripple effect of added societal costs—in the form of more emergency medicine, perceptions of public safety, behavioral health, and social services—that negatively impact our collective welfare. Policymakers must create more permanent supportive housing, affordable housing, and rezone areas to add more multifamily homes. Advocates across the state are organizing various municipal campaigns focused on increasing affordable and quality housing opportunities and protecting and acknowledging tenant rights. These organizers are working to win tenant protections and promote the creation of new, genuinely affordable housing for people of color. These efforts include statewide campaigns to enshrine protections for tenants and limit speculation in residential property. Furthermore, long-term local efforts involve building power among people of color to fight displacement.
Put Data to Use
Learn how you can take action to eliminate racial disparity and use RACE COUNTS data to advance social justice.
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