Greenline Housing Foundation: 5 Years Of Closing The Racial Homeownership And Wealth Gaps By Learning From History

The burden of history is tangible to this day, stripping people of color of rights in all aspects of life. To alleviate the ongoing effects of generational housing discrimination, Greenline Housing Foundation was founded in 2020, offering effective and timely solutions informed by lessons from the past. For five years, the nonprofit has remained steadfast in its mission of restoring what is still broken, providing Black and Hispanic people with down payment grants, financial education, and home maintenance assistance. Beyond grant applications, this focus on education sparks difficult conversations that citizens, governments, and everyone in between should be having to increase awareness and continue highlighting the consequences of historic discrimination.

Based in Pasadena, California, the organization has granted access to homeownership for close to 70 families across the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Atlanta, Baltimore / DC, Portland, and beyond. Since its establishment, Greenline has experienced gradual year-over-year growth, with collective grants awarded totaling over $1.6 million. How did it all begin? With a single realization that a specific history has led society to this dire point.

Faced with racial tensions and awareness rising after the murder of George Floyd, Jasmin Shupper, Founder and Executive Director, started investigating ways in which she could make a real difference. As a licensed real estate agent, she continued deepening her industry knowledge, quickly understanding that racial homeownership disparities were glaring. Statistics confirmed her biggest fear, clearly demonstrating that, despite the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968, the homeownership rate for Black and Hispanic owners was just 44.7% and 51%, respectively, compared with 72.4% for White Americans.

A fusion of Shupper's passion and expertise, founding Greenline in 2020 was the natural next step. Remedying race-based damage with race-based solutions, the nonprofit works with qualified Black and Hispanic families, not limited to low-income households. Greenline's approach is personal, with its team acting almost as family members offering down payment assistance. This philosophy addresses another striking gap, as down payment help from family is received by 46% of White homebuyers, compared to only 10% of Black homeowners.

"The homeownership barrier is already exorbitantly high, and people of color have been facing an uphill battle for centuries. Because of historical discrimination, many of them haven't been able to build generational wealth through real estate, consequently staying behind their White counterparts," explains Shupper. To bridge this gap, Greenline fills this role, providing down payment and home maintenance grants to the underserved.

Through a strategic partnership with a like-minded nonprofit, Thrivent, the organization was also able to provide more than 1,000 hours of financial education. As completing it is mandatory for anyone applying for down payment grants, Greenline strives to empower more families to achieve their dreams.

But all the families touched by the $1.6 million in grants are more than an impressive number; they are real people with real stories, like that of Nicholas and Erika, proud homeowners from Atlanta:

The Greenline grant made a significant difference in our ability to purchase our home by providing the necessary funds for the down payment. Without the grant, we would have struggled to accumulate the required amount of money, potentially delaying or even preventing us from buying a home. The grant not only eased our financial burden but also gave us the opportunity to secure a home that meets our needs and aspirations. Overall, the Greenline grant was instrumental in making our dream of homeownership a reality.

Beyond the aforementioned resources, Greenline is playing a pivotal role in alleviating the suffering from the recent Eaton fire in California. As a Pasadena resident, Jasmin felt a personal commitment to serving the community. Focused on mid- to long-term support, they created a wildfire relief fund, which, because of Greenline's established trust and position, garnered enough attention to raise over $1.8 million.

Additionally, Greenline secured newly built, fully-furnished apartments in Glendale and Downtown LA and assisted 15 families, providing over $300,000 in rental assistance thus far. Keeping displaced families close to home was especially important for this nonprofit. "Every person that leaves changes the community's fabric," adds Shupper. "We know that when people are displaced by natural disasters, the further away they move temporarily, the less likely they are to return. We didn't want to see this happen in Altadena. It is a uniquely diverse community, due in part to its rate of Black homeownership, which is almost double the national average."

Greenline is also a pioneer in purchasing burned lots as part of its fire relief efforts. So far, it has been able to purchase one property with another one currently in escrow, keeping the land of Altadena protected from potential developers and investors. "Not everyone will have the best interest of the community in mind in the rebuilding. Altadena is not for sale, and we'll do whatever we can to protect it," she adds.

After five years of relying solely on private grants, Greenline, for its immediate response to the Pasadena fires, is starting to receive institutional funding. Looking into the future, the organization's plans are as audacious as the issue they're trying to solve. With hopes of attracting more private and institutional donors, its goal is to assist fire victims not only in relocating but also in rebuilding the homes they had lost.

"Though we've been growing exponentially over the years, we know that all of this is only scratching the surface of the impact we hope to make," stresses Shupper. "And, no matter what, we will continue working hard. Because closing the racial wealth and homeownership gaps is not only about covering a down payment; it's about restoring justice, one home at a time."