BY NOW, the world has an opinion on what went wrong at Silicon Valley Bank. Banking and regulatory experts have, of course, weighed in. Venture capitalists quickly called for government to step in and insure all deposits. Even Twitter accounts that gained a following by reporting on pandemic or insurrection news, suddenly opined on a […]
Symone Crawford
Posted inEconomy
Bold action needed to close the racial homeownership gap
APRIL 11, 2022, marked 100 days since I became the executive director of a nonprofit organization that has become near and dear to me. In 2004, my real estate agent suggested I take a first-time homebuyer class with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance in Dorchester. I took her advice and it changed my life. My husband and […]
Posted inOpinion
‘Build Back Better’ must preserve housing provisions
BUYING A HOME in Mattapan is hard. Prices are high and inventory is low. The same is true throughout the greater Boston area. And if you are a person of color, the numbers are stacked against you. Homeownership rates for white households in Massachusetts approach 70 percent while just 35 percent of Black, Latinx, and […]
Posted inEconomy
It’s no time to weaken the Community Reinvestment Act
WE PURCHASED HOMES in Mattapan, Brockton and Hyde Park. We were able to afford these homes because of a great program called ONE Mortgage available through local lenders and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. We benefited from a lower down payment requirement, no private mortgage insurance, and an affordable, below-market interest rate. But what was not […]
Posted inOpinion
First-gen homebuyers need support
ON CAMPUSES ACROSS the nation, a combination of guidance and financial assistance has sprung up to support first-generation college students. Academic institutions – big and small as well as public and private – have recognized the importance of giving first-gen students a leg up. When it comes to homeownership, first generation buyers are left to compete […]