Rampant Insurance Increases Are Stifling Housing Production
There’s a new threat to affordability that is jolting the rental apartment real estate industry, especially those in market-rate and affordable multifamily housing: insurance premiums.
Rhode Island Redlining Case Spotlights Risk of Ignoring Cultural Bias
When we talk about the racial wealth gap, we often don’t talk about how we got here: redlining, and the role some financial institutions play in continuing to lock Black and brown families out of wealth creation.
After Redlining Allegations, Washington Trust Agrees to Diversify Leadership
After being agreeing to settle federal redlining charges for $9 million, Rhode Island-based Washington Trust said it will diversify its executive team and board of directors in an agreement with state officials there.
All Three Bank Regulators Pledge to Update CRA for a New Era
The three major U.S. banking regulators said Thursday they a plan to rewrite much of the outdated regulations tied to a decades-old banking law designed to encourage lending to the poor and racial minorities in the areas where banks have branches.
Should Lenders Fear Redlining Enforcement?
Federal prosecutors have launched a new initiative targeting “modern-day redlining” by residential mortgage lenders.
DOJ Launches Initiative to Fight Redlining
The U.S. Department of Justice will coordinate with financial regulators and state attorneys general on a new initiative to enforce laws that prevent discriminatory practices involving “modern-day redlining.”
Flood Risks in Greater Boston Fall Harder on Once-Redlined Areas
A new report shows that once-redlined Greater Boston neighborhoods are at a higher risk of flooding and face substantially higher damages if a flood occurs.
Flood Risk Could Influence Property Prices
New research suggests Massachusetts homes face substantially higher costs from flooding over the next 30 years as climate change worsens the risk of strong storms.
Redfin’s Minimum Price Amounts to Redlining, Lawsuit Claims
Several fair housing organizations accused Redfin of systematic racial discrimination in a lawsuit Thursday, saying the online real estate broker offers fewer services to homebuyers and sellers in minority communities
Industry Can’t Ignore Troubled History
America – and the banking and real estate industry – is waking up to just how deeply racism and white supremacy has been baked into our society. That can only be a good thing.
Why So Few Black Homeowners?
Only about a third of Black households in Greater Boston own their homes, while roughly 79 percent of area white households own their homes, thanks to decades discrimination.
COVID, Protests Cause Disruption in Commercial Real Estate
As the commonwealth moves through Phase II of reopening, it’s hard to imagine the economy heading back to “normal” anytime soon. Many are even questioning if getting back to “normal” should be the goal.
Bloomberg Once Blamed End of Redlining for 2008 Collapse
At the height of the 2008 economic collapse, then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the elimination of a discriminatory housing practice known as “redlining” was responsible for instigating the meltdown.
Housing Report Card Finds Persistent Segregation, Insufficient Housing Production
A new report assessing the state of Greater Boston’s housing market finds that the region is making little progress in changing the region’s long-standing trends in racial segregation.
