The Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, launched in 2021, has made “transformative progress in advancing economic opportunities for communities of colour in Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; Houston; Jacksonville, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; throughout Rhode Island; and elsewhere. Redlining is the unlawful practice of denying residents in communities of colour equal access to credit because of race, colour, or national origin.
The department secured over $153 million in relief for communities of colour that have faced lending discrimination by banks or mortgage lenders, resulting in more than $1 billion in new economic opportunities for these affected communities.
Of the thousands of families who will benefit from the Initiative, TCS presents some homeownership stories from a few individuals. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division partnered the Entertainment Creative Collaborative Outreach to collect and share these powerful stories.
Before her family bought a house, Rena, her daughter, and her teenage grandson rented a two-bedroom home. Finding a place with more space where all three generations could live comfortably together in the long term was a top priority for her family.
Now, with the help of a grant secured through the Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, Rena and her daughter have become the owners of a three-story house with a finished basement. They also have a bedroom for each member of their household.
Rena says that when she gets older, she plans to have her own apartment in the basement. “I tell my grandson this is what I want,” Rena explains. “It’s a good thing to be with the next generation.”
“My mother always told me, ‘You don’t wanna pay anyone else’s mortgage. You wanna pay your own mortgage,’” said new West Philly homeowner Madrese.
Madrese worked to increase his credit score before buying a home.
“When I purchased my home, my family put me in a group text and said, ‘Welcome to the homeowners club.’ … This was one of my biggest long-term goals, to buy a house.”
With his hard work and a grant secured through the Combating Redlining Initiative, Madrese has made his dream of owning a home a reality.
“I just fell in love with it,” Charmaine said of her home, “When I walked in here, I realized that this is the place I want to be … To me, it’s like a blessing.”
Charmaine used to say, “I would only be able to buy a home if I won the lottery.”
But when the condo she had rented for years came up for sale, Charmaine realised her goal of homeownership and stayed in the home where she felt “peace of mind.”
With the help of a grant secured through the Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, Charmaine became a first-time homeowner, with her daughter, of her condo—without having to win the lottery. Pictured: Charmaine’s new home.
“I smile every time I put the key in the lock and open the door,” said first-time homebuyer Laura.
Laura’s homebuying journey started with a visit to a local housing counselling agency that gave her guidance on the home-buying process. And it ended with a grant secured through the Combating Redlining Initiative to purchase a home, where she now lives with her partner.
Homeownership has “provided a lot of stability that I never thought I’d have,” said Laura. “It’s nice to have a family dinner. It’s nice to be able to share time with people … Our community finds it safe and comforting to come over and be with us.”
“It opens up a lot of opportunity … and it’s exciting to think about the future in ways that I’ve never thought about the future before.”
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