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Home Purchase Loans are Denied More Often for African American Applicants than White Applicants in Northeast Ohio by Dr. Mark Salling

Abstract: 

Housing condition and neighborhood vitality depend on investments by institutions that make purchase loans to home buyers. Without access to such credit prospective homebuyers are fewer and the value of property declines.

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) provides census tract level data on the number of loan applications that are submitted and the number of home purchase loans that are finalized. Data are reported by the race (and gender) of individual applicants. HMDA data on denials for conventional (1-4 unit) loan applications in 2016 are analyzed here for White and African American applicants in the 12-county Northeast Ohio area.

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Focus on Facts provides brief, thought-provoking information about urban policy issues based on research conducted at the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs. Our purpose is to stimulate additional discussion and debate. The series includes a “Map of the Month” as well as other formats. Questions or comments about specific topics can be addressed via email to the author(s). Questions or comments about the series of publications can be addressed to the Focus on Facts editor, Associate Dean Bob Gleeson at r.gleeson@csuohio.edu.

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