Rent to own the American Dream? A panel discussion – Recording

The American Dream of owning a home is getting pushed out of reach for too many people. Low housing supply, skyrocketing interest rates, and corporate takeover of starter homes is making a perfect storm in which low- and middle-income people are resigning themselves to a lifetime of renting.

Rent-to-own companies offer a different approach: instead of getting a traditional mortgage, you pay rent to the company that owns the house until you’ve made enough payments to own the home outright. While this new model promises to ease the path to homeownership, its predecessor contract for deed was more nefarious: it preyed on low-income Black and brown people who were redlined out of traditional loan opportunities. Can 21st-century guardrails make this new version actually beneficial to aspiring homeowners?

On Thursday, November 10th we explored this alternative pathway to homeownership: how it works, who stands to benefit, and what it means for the future of homeownership in the United States.

The webinar was moderated by Catherine Bracy, Executive Director and Co-Founder of TechEquity. Panelists included:

• Michelle Boyd, Chief Strategy Officer at Terner Housing Innovation Labs
• Hannah Holloway, Director of Policy & Research at TechEquity Collaborative
• John Green, Managing Principal at Blackstar Stability

This webinar was hosted on Zoom.