Black Men Buy Houses Is Empowering Men’s Confidence In Owning
In the face of historic affordability challenges and the rollback of DEI and affordable housing initiatives, Black Men Buy Houses (BMBH) is stepping up with solutions. This national initiative, founded to help African American men overcome challenges to homeownership, returns to Houston on Saturday, April 12th, from 12 PM to 4 PM at The Community Collective located at 12401 South Post Oak Road, Houston, TX 77045.
Say “Hello” to Marriage and Real Estate plus the founders of BMBH, Kevin and Ayesha Shelton. Check out the clip below:
BMBH is open to everyone but was created with a mission to directly address the stark reality: African American men remain the lowest home-buying demographic in the country. With the federal government pulling back on diversity-focused funding, including HUD’s affordable housing initiatives, the need for community-led action has never been more urgent (Source: AP News)
Over the past 50 years, African Americans have encountered systemic challenges to homeownership stemming from discriminatory practices, including redlining, racial covenants, biased based lending, and predatory mortgage schemes.
“In the wake of the death of DEI and the rising cost of living, BMBH is not just filling the gap, we’re building a bridge,” says the organizing team behind Black Men Buy Houses. “This is about economic empowerment, generational wealth, and providing tangible access to resources that change lives.”
While the 1968 Fair Housing Act officially banned overt discrimination, its lasting impact has continued to affect generations. Redlining—the practice of denying mortgages to residents in predominantly Black neighborhoods—effectively blocked wealth-building opportunities for generations.
According to the Urban Institute, in 1970, the Black homeownership rate was 41.6%, compared to 65.4% for white Americans. As of 2022, that gap remains largely unchanged: Black homeownership stood at 44.0% versus 72.7% for white households—a nearly 30 percentage point gap, one of the largest racial groups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022).
In the 2000s, the subprime mortgage crisis disproportionately impacted African American communities, where lenders targeted borrowers with high-risk, high-interest loans. This led to significantly higher foreclosure rates. A 2010 report from the Center for Responsible Lending found that Black borrowers were 76% more likely than white borrowers to receive a high-cost loan, even when they qualified for better terms.
These historical and structural inequities have contributed to the continued disparity in homeownership and generational wealth among Black Americans.
