UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge

This research brief by CNK in partnership with the National Housing Services of Los Angeles County summarizes the current state of Black homeownership in Los Angeles County and highlights some of the challenges currently brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeownership is a critical issue because it remains a primary source of asset accumulation, and past studies have shown an enormous gap between African Americans and whites.

The report’s preliminary analysis of pre-foreclosure notices during the pandemic indicates that the communities hardest hit by the last foreclosure crisis are in large part the very same communities now at risk of another foreclosure crisis generated by the pandemic. The findings show that Black neighborhoods are among those most at risk, as indicated by the disproportionate number of pre-foreclosure notices in their neighborhoods.

The report calls for policies and strategies to grow and protect Black homeownership. This will require addressing the harm done over the last year from the disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities in particular during the time of COVID. Furthermore, any post-pandemic recovery plan must not only keep families in the home by helping those behind in their mortgage but must also address historical and structural barriers that the Black community has faced when struggling to build wealth.