Why Homeownership? | Networking + Panel Discussion

Homeownership has long been viewed as the great wealth builder, but is that still the case today? And if so, for whom? 

Join us for a panel discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership versus other means of housing, homeownership as it relates to Black and Latine Chicagoans, and how homeownership impacts the racial wealth gap. 

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for networking and refreshments. Panel will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end with a Q&A. Attendance is free, but RSVPs are required as space is limited. 

Reserve your spot  

Featuring: 

Moderator: 

Amber Hendley 

Director of Research, Woodstock Institute 

Panelists: 

Lissette Castañeda

Commissioner, Department of Housing, City of Chicago 

LaToya Spann-Martin 

Mortgage Loan Consultant, Baird & Warner | Key Mortgage Services 

Shenita Muse

Executive Director, Hope Center Foundation

Jen Parks 

Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Chicago 

About the Race + Housing Series: 

At Habitat Chicago, our vision of a city where everyone has a decent place to live cannot be achieved without acknowledging the discrimination endured by Black people for generations. Racist housing policies such as redlining and racial restrictive covenants have created a racial homeownership and wealth gap in Chicago and throughout the nation. The effects of these policies are still experienced today. 

Habitat Chicago is committed to examining and doing our part to address housing and neighborhood inequity in Chicago, as well as providing an educational environment for our supporters to learn alongside us about the intersection of race and housing in our city. Here you can engage with our Race & Housing Series, which is a project in partnership with other Chicago organizations, educators, and activists who are moving the needle on addressing the effects of Chicago’s racist history, making critical social change around housing equity and healthy neighborhood development in Chicago communities.

For more information, contact Habitat Chicago's Event Manager Kelsey Miklos at kelsey.miklos@habitatchicago.org or 312.563.0296 ext. 415.