Attorney General's report finds racial disparities in home ownership in New York
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A new report from New York Attorney General Letitia James underscores just how significant racial disparities in homeownership are across the state.
Among white households in New York, 67% own their homes.
That's compared to 34% of households of color.
Homeownership rates are particularly low among Black and Latino households.
A big reason for this, according to the attorney general's study, is that applicants of color are denied mortgages at higher rates than white applicants, this is regardless of credit score, income, size of loan and other factors.
The probability of a Black or Asian applicant's purchase application being rejected remained 43% higher than for a white applicant.
Latino applicants were 33% more likely to be rejected.
While there is no simple fix, the report does lay out several state-level policies that could help close the gap.
It suggests subsidizing down-payment support for first-generation homeowners and strengthening New York's resources to address discriminatory lending practices.
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