Exploring Homeownership and the American Dream in the Disability Community
The stable corporate 9-5 job, 2.5 kids and a dog, a house in the suburbs…. It’s the “American Dream” many of us grew up on. Our parents, coworkers, friends, and even legislators planted the notion that if we could attain even part of this list, we’d “made it” in America.
While things have certainly changed in recent years, one thing remains the same: this dream is alive and well. This is especially true when it comes to homeownership;one of the major hallmarks of success in this country. “Owning one’s home symbolizes upward mobility and can offer economic security, contributing to household and intergenerational wealth.” (Source)
But just as the dream is very much alive, so are deep systemic barriers that plague the journey towards homeownership for the disabled community.
While we were not able to find much information publicly on trends around homeownership in the disability community, specifically, we decided to poll our Diversability community for their thoughts on this topic. Of those that responded, 57% indicated they did not currently own a home but wanted to one day and 30% shared that they were currently homeowners. Some of our community members also raised the issue that many of us who are disabled might not be able to purchase a home one our own due to medical expenses and other financial and societal barriers related to being disabled. On the other hand, we also had a community member share that she was able to buy her home prior to becoming disabled, and appreciated being able to have that equity in retrospect. This goes to show that the financial stability provided by homeownership can be a huge asset to people with disabilities.
And the research supports it. Further research we did only reinforced the significance of homeownership to financial stability and the accumulation of intergenerational wealth for all groups. Not only is the typical homeowner’s net worth $195,400, while that of renter’s is just $5,400 (Source), the Urban League found that “the children of homeowners are 7 to 8 percentage points more likely to be homeowners than children of renters, all else equal. Additionally, a 10 percent increase in parental wealth increases young adults’ likelihood of owning a home by 0.15 to 0.20 percentage points… the stability of parents’ homeownership and the amount of wealth they possess also affect their child’s likelihood of owning a home.”
Image is on an off white background with navy text. There is a blue and orange gradient banner at the top and bottom of image. Text reads, “Wednesday, June 16, 2021 7:00 PM ET Diversability Unplugged:Disability Homeownership & The American Dream”. There are 5 headshots of the speakers and moderator with their names, pronouns, and titles underneath. Text reads, ASL interpretation/autocaptioning provided. RSVP: http://bit.ly/unpluggedhome”. There is a Diversability logo and Blend logo at the bottom of page.
In response to growing awareness surrounding this important issue, Diversability is pleased to announce that we are partnering with Blend on our upcoming event Diversability Unplugged: Disability Homeownership and the American Dream on Wednesday, June 16 from 4pm-5:30pm PST.
Join us for this deep dive into topics ranging from personal homeownership experiences, systemic barriers to homeownership, structural and policy issues surrounding homeownership, and more.
Our Partnership with Blend
Blend’s digital lending platform helps lenders like Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and over 285 other leading financial institutions maximize their digital agility and make lending more accessible for all. Diversability is excited to be partnering with Blend for this event, as we are aligned with Blend’s commitment to equity and accessibility, because access to opportunity is key to economic mobility and transferable wealth. We believe that Blend is one tool that serves as a catalyst for that. By helping customers process more than $5 billion in mortgages and consumer loans per day, Blend enables millions of consumers to purchase homes and gain access to the capital they need to lead better lives. A commitment to digital banking that you can access anytime, anywhere is helping drive necessary change in the financial services industry so that the 57% of our community members polled can one day buy the home of their dreams.
Meet Our Panelists
Black and white headshot of Emily. She is a white woman with short hair, wearing a long-sleeve black shirt. She is looking away from the camera.
Emily Bilbao is part of the Strategic Operations team at Blend, where she supports Blend’s strategic planning and operating capacity. Prior to joining Blend, she worked as Chief of Staff at Skysong Innovations where she helped coordinate and manage intellectual property and commercialization of technologies on behalf of Arizona State University (ASU).
She spent ten years working in foreign policy, including as a Program Examiner at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as time at the State Department, Department of Defense, and at the Brookings Institution. She is a graduate of Hamilton College and Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA).
“Based on my personal experience, I wish people were more attuned to invisible disabilities. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2014 and have struggled to articulate the challenges of my disability. Having purchased two homes, I wish I had been more comfortable relaying my requirements and accommodation preferences. Overall, owning a home has been a tremendous opportunity for me, and I am grateful for the stability it provides.”
Headshot of Ashley. She is a white woman with light color eyes and long blonde hair.
Ashley Jacobson is a disability rights attorney living with physical disability in the state of Michigan. Through her law firm, Jacobson Law & Advocacy, she protects the rights of clients with disabilities in workplaces, schools, courtrooms, and communities. Ashley also owns and operates Adaptive Inclusion, a nationwide disability counseling and consulting firm, utilizing her master’s degree and certification in disability counseling and assessment (CRC).
Ashley is a published writer and has served on several panels discussing disability in the workplace, adapting to disability, and disability rights. With professional expertise and empathy informed by personal experience, her mission is to empower disabled individuals and advocate for a more equal, inclusive, and accessible future.
More information about Ashley can be found at JLAPLLC.com and AdaptiveInclusion.com.
“I am interested in this topic because--In addition to living as a physically-disabled woman, I'm a disability rights attorney and rehabilitation counselor. Personally and professionally, I've witnessed and fought disability discrimination in housing, and I'm lucky enough to know my rights and know how to fight it--but the whole disability community deserves to have that knowledge.”
Headshot of Danh. He is a Asian American male with black hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a blue bandanna. He is outside, there are trees in the background of picture.
Danh Trang is a Senior Product Manager at Mux, a company on a mission to power online video with simple APIs any developer can use (think Stripe/Plaid for online video).
Before Mux, Danh was an early employee and Product Manager at Blend and a Trader at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. Majoring in Finance and Computer Science, Danh graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, a dual-degree program between The Wharton School of Business and UPenn’s Engineering School.
Danh previously served on the Board of Directors of Little People of America (LPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with dwarfism (a condition he was born with).
Danh has also served as Chief Business Officer of Breathe For Change, a company enhancing the health and well-being of teachers, students, and school communities. Breathe For Change’s transformational training seminars have certified over 5000 educators and hundreds of thousands of students have benefited from Breathe For Change’s wellness curriculum.
When not working, Danh is also a startup investor/advisor and an avid runner. He’s run 8 marathons (including 7 consecutive Boston Marathons) and has represented Team USA at numerous International Para-Badminton Tournaments (taking home Gold in Colombia in 2016!). Danh grew up in the Bay Area and currently resides in San Francisco with his partner, Ilana, and they’re expecting their first kid in August!
“While the industry has made significant progress in making homeownership more accessible for individuals with disabilities, there is still much to be done. As a homeowner with a disability who has worked inside banks and startups that power the housing market, I am hopeful for what we can do together in making homeownership fairer for all.”
Picture of Nic and her dog. Nic is a white woman who is wearing glasses. Her dog is black and it is yawning with it’s tongue sticking out.
Nicole Weitzman is a Physical Therapist Assistant and homeowner living in the greater Phoenix, AZ area. Nicole’s experience as a deaf person, along with her recent endeavor to refinance the mortgage for her own home provides a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the disabled community as they seek homeownership.
“In regards to disability and homeownership, I want to make people aware of the communication needs for deaf people. I've been in situations where appropriate accommodations weren't provided and I want to make sure that doesn't happen to anyone else ever again."
Headshot of Angela. She is a white woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing glasses.
Angela Fox, is a Maryland Attorney by trade and a mediator for the federal government. Born a paraplegic before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she faced overwhelming obstacles and has used her legal degree and mediation skills to resolve complex civil rights and employment issues for employees with disabilities.
Ms. Fox has expanded her advocacy by focusing on homeownership and independent living concerns for the disability community after struggling to buy and modify her home near Washington DC during the housing market crisis because of her disability. She successfully challenged a policy by the Maryland Assistive Technology (MDTAP) loan program that in practice prevented new disabled homeowners from obtaining low-interest home equity loans to modify a home because new home owners lacked home equity for the required secured loan. She was asked and served as a board member for six years on the MDTAP. Ms. Fox wrote a how-to book on Amazon, “My blue front door”, about buying and modifying a home for mobility impairments for the disabled working class that covers a range of issues from working with your real estate agent to modifying your home. Recently Ms. Fox has created a podcast, Accessibility Is Home,. Her podcast has candid conversations with agents of the housing industry and highlights successful stories of disabled homeowners.
“Owning a home allows me to have an accessible home that becomes a refuge from an inaccessible world.”
To join this important conversation, RSVP at http://bit.ly/unpluggedhome.