Summit addresses equity in homeownership

Bakari Sellers addresses the issue of affordable housing during a conference on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University, Harrison Auditorium Photo by Ivan Saul Cutler/ Carolina Peacemaker.

Pathways to greater homeownership for more African Americans dominated a half-day of intense discussions and workshops on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. During this first-of-its-kind program at A&T, “HOPE in Action – Making Home Ownership Possible and Equitable,” the discussion addressed the issue of affordable housing. Keynote presenter at A&T’s Harrison Auditorium was author, human rights leader, attorney and CNN contributing analyst Bakari Sellers. He discussed how systemic racial discrimination continues to be an obstacle to homeownership and greater quality of life for millions of African Americans and their families.

The open-to-the-public program began in the Deese Ballroom of A&T’s Student Center with several homebuyer readiness workshops, providing knowledge and tools to unlock homeownership opportunities, followed by a Homebuyers Fair of resources, housing specialists, and related financial information for first-time buyers or others seeking to upgrade their housing.

Sellers, a Greensboro native, discussed how local community members can make homeownership a reality and he discussed the benefits of increased access to affordable housing. Following Sellers’ remarks, a panel discussion focused on Greensboro’s critical housing equity issues such as housing availability, social barriers to obtaining housing, neighborhood security and housing proximity to medical access.