>> OUR WISCONSIN IN BLACK AND
WHITE SERIES ON THE RACIAL
WEALTH GAP FOCUSED ON THE
BARRIERS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR
PEOPLE OF COLOR IN WISCONSIN.
SPECIAL PROJECT JOURNALIST, MURV
SEYMORE, LAUNCHED THE FRONTAGE
AND TONIGHT HAS THIS REPORT ON
WORK IN TWO CITIES TO GET PEOPLE
INTO THEIR OWN HOMES, STARTING
FIRST IN MILWAUKEE.
>> THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE HAS A
$5,000 GRANT BUT YOU HAVE TO
LIVE IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.
>> SCHOOL IS ALWAYS IN AT
MILWAUKEE AREA TECHNICAL
COLLEGE.
>> THE MINIMAL CREDIT SCORE
REQUIREMENT TO GET PREAPPROVED
FOR A HOME LOAN IS 620.
>> ON THIS DAY.
>> MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PAYING
YOUR BILLS ON TIME.
>> A MENTORING GROUP THAT HELPS
BLACK AND PRONOUN MEN GET
THROUGH COLLEGE LEARN THE INS
AND OUTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE
A HOMEOWNER.
>> YOU NEED TO SHOWED THAT
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING FOR SIX
MONTHS TO AID YEAR.
>> THE GOAL IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER.
>> I THINK HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR THE
BLACK COMMUNITY IS A DREAM THAT
MANY DON'T BELIEVE THEY CAN
ACHIEVE.
>> WHEN I BOUGHT THAT COMPLEX, I
WAS NOT MAKING ANY MONEY AT ALL.
>> IT'S MORE ABOUT A PLACE TO
STAY.
YOU'REIBLE YOUR FUTURE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO RENT FROM SOMEONE
AND PAY THEIR MORTGAGE WHEN YOU
COULD BE PAYING YOUR OWN
MORTGAGE.
>> THE ALVARADO GROUP IS A SMALL
BROKERAGE.
>> FROM A SMALL OFFICE JUST DOWN
THE STREET FROM CAMP RANDALL
STADIUM IN MADISON, OWNERS OF
ALVARADO REALTY GROUP LOOK TO
CHANGE THE GAME IN REAL ESTATE.
>> WE ARE UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT
SUPPORTING BLACK AND BROWN
HOMEOWNERSHIP.
>> THEY PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE
THEIR MOUTH IS.
SARAH ADMITS GROWING UP, SHE
THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD AN EQUAL
PATH TOWARDS OWNING A HOME.
>> AT LAST, THE BRYANTS HAVE ALL
THE SPACE THEY NEED.
BIG FLOOR-TO-CEILING CLOSETS FOR
EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.
>> IF YOUR PARENTS GO TO
COLLEGE, YOU ASSUME YOU'RE GOING
TO GO TO COLLEGE.
IF THEY HAVE A HOUSE, YOU ASSUME
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HOUSE,
UNTIL YOU START WORKING WITH
PEOPLE AND THEY SAY, OH, MY
GOSH, IT'S MY DREAM TO HAVE A
HOME.
>> RACE-BASED POLICIES LIKE
REDLINING HAVE KEPT
HOMEOWNERSHIP OUT OF REACH FOR
MOST BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES.
>> DANE COUNTY NUMBERS, IT'S 15%
OF FAMILIES THAT ARE BLACK OR
BROWN OWNED HOMES COMPARED TO
65% OF WHITE FAMILIES.
IN IS THE 6 WHEN THEY HAD THE
FAIR HOUSING ACT IN 1968 AND
THEN THEY SAID, OKAY, NOW NO
DISCRIMINATION, BLACK AND BROWN
PEOPLE GO AHEAD AND TRY AND
CATCH UP TO THIS ACCUMULATION OF
WEALTH IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT HAVE BEEN SEGREGATED ON
PURPOSE AND THESE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN
SEGREGATED ON PURPOSE, HOW IS
THAT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEIR --
WITHOUT THERE BEING A PLAN OF
SOME SORT?
>> SARA AND HER HUSBAND'S PLAN
IS CALLED OWN IT, BUILDING BLACK
WEALTH.
>> IT IS A DOWN PAYMENT
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH AN
EDUCATION ASPECT TO IT.
>> IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE
CITY SCHOOLS FOR MORE THAN 85%
OF THE STUDENTS ARE BLACK AND
BROWN, FUNDS ARE $15,000 PAYMENT
TOWARDS A HOME FOR ANY ONE CITY
TEACHER OR PARENT.
>> FOR ABOUT LEARNING AND
TEACHING ABOUT WEALTH BUILDING
BECAUSE WEALTH BUILDING IN
ITSELF IS CRITICAL AND THERE ARE
LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.
>> FUELED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS,
INVESTORS, HOMEOWNERS, AND
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE
NARROW AT THIS, CONTRIBUTIONS
AND PROCEEDS FROM HOME SALES
DRIVE OWN IT.
>> WE GET A LOT OF CONTRIBUTIONS
WITHIN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND
WE'VE HAD SELLERS WHO, AT THE
TIME OF CLOSING, WRITE A CHECK.
SOMETIMES IT'S A THOUSAND
DOLLARS.
>> MEET JODIE POPE AND HER SON,
CAMERON.
>> WE KNEW NOTHING AS CHILDREN,
REALLY, ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP.
>> WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FINGERS ON
THERE, WHAT DOES IT DO?
>> SINCE OWN IT TOOK LAUNCH IN
2020, THE SINGLE MOM IS ONE OF
10 FAMILIES IN THE MADISON AREA
WHO NOW PROUDLY OWNS AND NO
LONGER RENTS BECAUSE OF THE
PROGRAM.
>> HOMEOWNERSHIP IS SIGNIFICANT.
IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL PROCESS
BECAUSE I ALMOST DIDN'T GET THE
KEYS.
>> THIS WAS MY SEVENTH OFFER.
>> WE MODE WITH HER DAYS AWAY
FROM THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF
THE MOVE-IN.
>> IT'S OURS.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF PRIDE,
OF OWNERSHIP.
I'VE KIND OF LEANED INTO MY
PROJECTS AND I'VE HUNG DRYWALL,
I'VE PAINTED.
MY SON AND I ARE SOCIAL AND I
LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HOST PEOPLE
OVER HERE.
NO ONE CAN TELL YOU TO LEAVE.
NO ONE CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN
DO.
YOU CAN PAINT THE WALL.
YOU CAN PUT STEPH CURRY STICKERS
ALL OVER THE WALL AND ON THE
CEILING FAN.
>> HIS MOM SAYS GRADUALLY
CAMERON IS GETTING MORE
COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW
COMMUNITY.
>> MY SON CAN WALK TO SCHOOL.
HE NEVER HAS HAD THE
NEIGHBORHOOD EXPERIENCE OF
HAVING FRIENDS THAT LIVE TWO AND
THREE DOORS DOWN.
BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT
STABILITY, TO GO TO THE SAME
SCHOOL FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE,
FROM HERE OUT, RIGHT, THAT TYPE
OF STABILITY TO FORM THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDSHIPS,
WITH TEACHERS, WITHIN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS KEY.
>> JODI SAYS MOST IMPORTANTLY,
HER SON IS LEARNING ABOUT WEALTH
AND HOMEOWNERSHIP.
>> TO TEACH HIM HOW TO PUT A NEW
HANDLE ON A TOILET, WHICH I'VE
DONE, HOW TO UNCLOG A GARBAGE
DISPOSAL.
OUR HOUSING PRICES, RENTAL
PRICES, IT LEAVES US OUT.
WE NEED TO DO THIS.
>> THE NAME ON IT REPRESENTS --
OWN IT REPRESENTS THE PAINFUL
PAST.
>> OWNING THE HISTORY OF WHAT
HAS HAPPENED IN THE REAL ESTATE
INDUSTRY.
>> WHILE SUPPORTING THE
PROMISING FUTURE.
>> IT IS LITERALLY ME OWNING
THIS PLACE.
>> REPORTING FOR "HERE & NOW,"
I'M MURV SEYMORE.
>> NEXT WEEK ON WISCONSIN IN
BLACK AND WHITE, A LOOK AT
HEALTH DIVIDES IN WISCONSIN.
FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBS WISCONSIN