Winter ‘22: Real Estate Law
Steps Forward:
Working Toward Affordable, Equitable Housing in Columbus BY SHAYLA D. FAVOR
Last year, the City of Columbus and Franklin County declared racism to be a public health crisis. At the heart of this declaration has to be the acknowledgment of the reality of systemic racism: the complex interaction of policies, procedures, laws and institutions that have created disparities in the criminal justice system, employment, health care, education and housing.
The manifestation of these disparities can be identified through the examination of the racial wealth gap, where here in Columbus, residents of color are in greater debt and have less wealth than the city’s white residents. According to the Financial Empowerment Roadmap, the median household income for Black households in Columbus is $35,569, which is 40 percent less than that of white households. Additionally, 33 percent of Black households and 31 percent of Hispanic households have zero new wealth, whereas 17 percent of white households have zero new wealth. We can also identify the disparity if we examine the lack of access to employment opportunities that provide a true living wage. Here in Columbus, nearly 40 percent
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