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RHS Spotlight: Addressing Racial Disparities in Housing and Homeownership
Upcoming RHN Webinar: Addressing Racial Disparities in Housing and Homeownership - What Your Community Can Do!
NEW DATE— Thursday, February 26, 2026, 3:00-4:00 PM
Dane County Wraps Up Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Resources to Address Disparities in Housing
City of Middleton Housing Action Plan Public Input Survey
Share Your Thoughts— Survey Closes February 28, 2025
New Affordable Single-Family Houses Open in Owl Creek Neighborhood
FREE Homebuyer Education Classes for First Time Homebuyers
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Regional Housing Strategy Spotlight
Addressing Racial Disparities in Housing and Homeownership
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Historical patterns of racism continue to this day and create significant racial disparities in housing and homeownership. Racial disparities in housing do not just affect people of color but entire communities – employers, school districts, families, community stability, and the local tax base.
The Regional Housing Strategy Advisors identified Equity as one of their core values in the Strategic Action Plan:
EQUITY: Historically excluded populations and lower-income households have access to quality housing
RHS identified the need to increase resources and education for racial equity and inclusion in housing and homeownership in two of their top five housing priorities as:
PRIORITY: PROVIDE HOUSING, RESOURCES, AND PROTECTIONS FOR THE MOST
VUNERABLE POPULATIONS.
PRIORITY: INCREASE PATHWAYS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP
In Dane County, only 13% of black householders are homeowners, compared to 64% of white householders. Other groups of color, including Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Native American communities, also have lower homeownership rates. Black renters are also more likely to be cost burdened – 50% of black renters are cost burdened while 25% of white renters are cost burdened. Regional Housing Strategy, 2024.
Lack of access to housing creates housing instability and prevents economic mobility and generational wealth building. Economically-segregated neighborhoods often keep lower-income households in areas with fewer amenities and lower quality services, which in turn reduces property tax revenue in these areas. Please join us next week at the RHN webinar, see below, to learn more about racial disparities in housing and homeownership, the impacts and opportunities to address it.
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REMINDER— NEW DATE
Upcoming Regional Housing Network (RHN) Webinar —
Please Join Us!
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 3:00-4:00 PM
Register here:https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ZdGrbOEsTWyzeleLmN233w
| | | Addressing Racial Disparities in Housing and Homeownership - What Communities Can Do! | |
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February Regional Housing Network Webinar
Addressing racial disparities in housing and homeownership was one of the top priorities identified by the RHS Housing Advisory Committee they felt should be addressed at a regional level. This webinar will provide an overview of ongoing disparities in housing and homeownership, some of the impacts, and provide information on current efforts and resources. Also shared, will be a new RHS Fact Sheet on Racial Disparities in Housing and Homeownership and the impact to people and communities.
Katey Nelson, Operations Director, YWCA, and 2024 recipient of the Dane County Hometown Housing Hero Award, will discuss YWCA's work in racial justice. Katey will outline the programming and resources that support people of color to gain and maintain access to stable housing. She will also provide examples of how you and your community members can benefit from YWCA's work and get involved.
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Tiffany Malone, Co-Founder, Own It: Building Black Wealth, will discuss her organization's mission and programming to address disparities in homeownership for people of color, and how you, your community and the private sector can participate in the solutions.
Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ZdGrbOEsTWyzeleLmN233w
| | | | Dane County Wraps Up Emergency Rental Assistance Program | | |
In September 2021, Dane County was awarded federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) as a part of the Biden Administration’s federal stimulus bill to prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through partnerships with community organizations including the Tenant Resource Center, WayForward Resources, and Urban Triage, the county collectively distributed more than $33 million in rental and utility assistance. These organizations worked tirelessly to serve over 4,800 families and nearly 12,000 individuals across the community. Dane County also piloted a Doubled Up Housing program to support families who would have otherwise been ineligible for assistance because they fell outside the federal “literal homelessness” definition. This program alone served more than 200 individuals and distributed over $1 million in assistance. Per federal requirements, the funding sunset in September of 2026.
We would like to extend so much gratitude not only to our community agencies that partnered with Dane County to distribute funds but to those agencies and landlords that worked to refer individuals to these agencies. Our community continues to face significant housing challenges, and the commitment to supporting households at risk of displacement remains critical. The conclusion of ERA does not mark an end to the need, or to the work.
The County will continue to partner with the Tenant Resource Center in 2026 to support their ongoing Eviction Defense and Diversion Program with remaining federal stimulus funds from another source. To learn more and to connect to this program, please visit Eviction Diversion and Defense Partnership.
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Resources to Help Address
Disparities in Housing and Homeownership
The following organizations provide a comprehensive range of resources—from policy guidance and municipal programming to direct tenant support and down payment assistance. These partners are dedicated to helping leaders and residents understand the unique challenges faced by people of color and vulnerable populations and helping navigate effective housing solutions.
Feel free to contact the organizations below for a community presentation or feature these resources on your local housing webpage. Learning together is a helpful option as well.
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GARE is a network of public employees and racial equity practitioners dedicated to advancing racial equity in government. GARE’s staff and partners work together to share and apply new innovative tools to address racial disparities on the federal, state, regional, and local level. Check out the Housing, Land, and Development page to view their housing funding tools, racial equity plans, and much more!
The GARE Learning Center features exclusive in-network tools, resources and self-paced courses. You can register to access learning opportunities, including the foundational self-paced course, Advancing Racial Equity in Government.
Learn about the root causes of racial disparities in their publication, Root Causes of Housing and Land Injustice.
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Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison
The Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison is a branch of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, a nonprofit that operates a fair housing program. The Fair Housing Center's services include fair housing enforcement, outreach and education programs for housing providers, communities, and fair lending education. The Fair Housing Center also operates the Inclusive Communities Program, which connects residents to affordable housing opportunities, as well as provides technical assistance to housing stakeholders who are seeking information about inclusionary housing policies.
Click here to read more about the Fair Housing Center's programs.
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YWCA Madison is an organization committed to women’s empowerment and eliminating racism. YWCA has various housing programs intended to help women and families find safe, stable housing, including eviction prevention services for domestic violence victims, family shelters, transportation support, affordable housing for families, and education programs.
Visit the ‘Housing & Shelter’ section of their website to learn more about the services that YWCA offers.
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Movin' Out, Inc. is a Madison-based nonprofit organization with a mission of advancing disability justice through the creation of affordable, safe, community-integrated homes. Movin' Out has created over 1,500 units of affordable rental housing, including 350 supportive housing units. Movin' Out also provides assistance to Wisconsin homebuyers who need home rehabilitations for accessibility or safety purposes, and supports homebuyers through housing counseling and homebuyer education.
Want to learn more about Movin' Out's programs? Click here to explore more of their work around Wisconsin.
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Urban Triage is a Madison-based organization specializing in programs that uplift black families in the community, including through their Housing Navigation Program. Urban Triage works with individuals and families experiencing homelessness by connecting them to stable housing, as well as working with landlords and housing providers to form partnerships and ensure residents have the support they need to maintain their housing. Visit Urban Triage’s website to learn more about their housing navigation services.
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Tenant Resource Center
The Tenant Resource Center mission is to defend housing as a human right and strengthen housing stability in our communities by preventing evictions and educating and empowering individuals and families. TRC provides eviction services, tenant rights education, UW student support and helps members find housing in the Madison Area. Click here to read more about the services they offer to tenants.
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Own It's mission is to transform homebuying. They are proud to offer an education program that provides people of color with the knowledge and support needed to make homeownership a reality. Paired with a down payment grant with fewer restrictions, we are rewriting the script of home buying.
They offer financial literacy and homeownership courses to guide you toward financial stability, homeownership, and long-term wealth.
Down Payment Grants Available!
Own It provides $19,000 in down payment grants for families to use toward the purchase of their first home. To learn more, go here.
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Common Wealth Development is a Madison Area organization that centers racial equity in their programs, including workforce, economic, and housing development.
Common Wealth Development provides affordable rental housing to low- and moderate-income households through their ownership of 160 apartments. CWD also offers a lease-to-purchase program to help increase the affordable for-sale housing stock in the community and create more opportunities for prospective first-time homebuyers with their lease to purchase program.
To learn more about Common Wealth Development's programs, visit their website here.
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"Prejudice in Places" refers to the historical, often hidden, racist language in property deeds and housing records (1910s–1960s) that prohibited Black, Jewish, and other minority groups from buying or occupying homes. Though unenforceable since 1968, these covenants created lasting, segregated communities.
The PIP initiative assists homeowners in identifying and officially removing this discriminatory language from their records with a goal of fostering equity and acknowledging the systemic racism embedded in local housing. For a community presentation or identifying a restrictive deed on your property, visit the program website here, or email plandev@danecounty.gov.
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United Way of Dane County works to advance housing stability and racial equity by investing in affordable housing, supporting families at risk of homelessness, and addressing systemic racism.
Key initiatives include the Family Housing Stability program (98% of participants are children of color) to prevent homelessness, and the Affordable Housing Fund, which supports nonprofit developers to bring forward affordable housing. Contact the Community Impact Team to learn more about their resources at impact@uwdc.org.
For immediate assistance related to housing, health care, schooling and more, call or text 211, or email them at: unitedway2-1-1@uwdc.org.
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The mission of the Black Man's Coalition is to: Foster and Develop a Safe and Inclusive Environment for All.
BMC has programs for those seeking housing, employment, education, transportation and youth programs. The supportive housing program helps individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity find safe, affordable housing by partnering with property owners to match people with an appropriate living situation that meets their needs. Contact BMC at info@bmcdc.org, or call them at 608-520-5965 for more information.
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New Affordable Single-Family Homes Open in
Owl Creek Neighborhood
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Four new affordable homeownership opportunities have been completed in the City of Madison’s Owl Creek Neighborhood through a partnership between the City of Madison and Madison Area Community Land Trust (MACLT). Developed by affordable-housing developer Kaba Bah, the homes are priced at about $240,000, and are sold to buyers who make 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less.
The project includes two sets of twin homes made affordable through a $600,000 award from the City of Madison’s Affordable Housing Fund, and a contribution of city-owned land to MACLT Under MACLT’s model, households own their home, but lease the land under the home for a minimal cost, ensuring long-term affordability and allowing for low- to moderate-income households to have opportunities for homeownership.
Want to learn more about Kaba Bah’s affordable housing projects? Contact him at kababah@hotmail.com.
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City of Middleton Housing Action Plan
Public Input Survey
Share Your Thoughts, Open to All County Residents
Survey Closes February 28, 2026
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The City of Middleton is establishing an Affordable Housing Fund using increment generated from an Affordable Housing TID extension. Over the past year, the City’s Community Development Authority and Workforce Housing Committee have developed a plan for how the fund can be used to improve housing affordability in Middleton. The DRAFT Housing Action Plan outlines an ambitious yet realistic vision for what can be accomplished. The plan is informed by best practices from neighboring communities and is consistent with the Dane County Regional Housing Strategy. The intent is for Middleton’s Affordable Housing Fund to serve as a long-term, ongoing resource to support housing affordability initiatives in the City for decades to come.
Public input will continue to play an important role in shaping the plan. After reviewing the DRAFT Housing Action Plan, please complete the survey to share your perspectives and feedback. The committees will review all public input after the survey closes on Saturday, February 28, and your feedback will help inform the final draft of the plan.
Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/289C3LT
| | Housing Counseling and Home Ownership Program Manager — Job Opening | | |
Movin' Out, Inc. is searching for a full-time Housing Counseling and Home Ownership Program Manager to join their organization. Movin' Out is a nonprofit organization based in Madison that focuses on disability justice, working with local partners to create affordable, community-integrated housing. Movin' Out offers homebuyer education and pre-purchase counseling programs, as well as well as many other resources related to home repair, financial literacy, and much more!
The Housing Counseling and Home Ownership Program Manager supports team members, manage contracts, supervises the delivery of services, and assures program compliance and quality. Applicants should have knowledge of home ownership and housing counseling services, and have values that align with Movin' Out, including anti-racism, social justice/disability justice, and self-determination for people with disabilities.
Click here to learn more about the position and to apply!
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