As a part of an interdisciplinary team, ECO assisted the City of Tacoma by analyzing systemic disparities associated with homeownership. The overarching goal of this work was to provide budget and policy recommendations to increase Black homeownership in the City and to evaluate potential actions by the City to advance equity-conscious remedies that could be implemented.
ECO analyzed current homeownership housing programs to identify strategies to address the impacts of discrimination on homeownership opportunities in Tacoma and to help inclusively promote homeownership benefits such as economic mobility, asset-building, and stable housing.
ECO used a cohesive racial and social equity framework to guide the process, analysis of demographic, homeownership, and mortgage data and housing program/policy changes, and the evaluation of strategies. Quantitative data combined with qualitative findings from community engagement were integrated to build a deep understanding of disparities, barriers, and challenges to gaining and sustaining homeownership. This work also included targeted cultural community engagement to learn about housing experiences, conditions, current programs/policies, and potential opportunities. We provided recommendations for how to redesign the City’s homeownership housing programs and associated policies and strategies to more effectively address historic inequities creating financial and racial disparities in Tacoma.
