WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (June 28, 2021) – The City of West Palm Beach has been chosen as a recipient of the Closing the Racial Gap in Homeownership (Closing the Gap) grant, valued at $100,000, through the Florida Housing Coalition’s (Coalition) Center for Racial Equality. The grant provides 24 months of assistance to help advance racial equity in housing.
According to the Coalition’s 2021 Home Matters Report, Black Floridians have the lowest homeownership rates in the state, with more than half of Black households being renters. In the City of West Palm Beach, homeownership rates among racial/ethnic groups are as follows:
- White – 59%
- Black – 39%
- Hispanic – 37%
As part of the program, the Coalition will engage with the public and private sectors, as well as additional stakeholders to address the history, policies and programs that impact racial inequity in housing. The Coalition will assist the community with implementing solutions based on their findings.
“In line with my vision of working to create a community of opportunity for all in West Palm Beach, we are working to make the dream of homeownership a reality for all residents no matter where they chose to live,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “This grant will help the city to continue its work addressing affordable housing challenges faced by people of color throughout our city. We thank the Florida Housing Coalition for this grant and are honored to have been named a recipient.”
“As the largest healthcare provider in West Palm Beach, we are honored to partner with the city to help families in our community achieve their dream of home ownership,” said Cynthia McCauley, chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Medical Center & Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. “As our community continues to grow, the city of West Palm Beach could not be more deserving of this grant. We look forward to partnering with the city for the success of this initiative.”
Prior to receiving the Closing the Gap grant, the City of West Palm Beach had established several initiatives to help bridge the racial gap in homeownership. For years, the city has partnered with Northend R.I.S.E., Inc. to carry out its RISE initiative. This campaign consists of a collaboration between neighborhood/governmental/civic leaders, educators, healthcare professionals and businesses to achieve community-based solutions to break the cycle of poverty in the city’s north end neighborhoods. Eligible homebuyers are awarded a deferred payment second loan (up to $60K) as down payment financing towards the purchase price and closing costs of housing units within the Primary RISE Impact Area.
Following the calls for justice after the police-involved deaths of several African Americans during the summer of 2020, Mayor James established the Mayor’s Task Force for Racial and Ethnic Equality to identify and analyze inequities and to create solutions for disparities in the following focus areas:
- Criminal justice,
- Education and workforce development,
- Finance, banking and business.
- Health, and
- Real estate and housing.
The main priorities for the Task Force’s Subcommittee on Real Estate and Housing is to expand availability of decent and affordable housing options, mitigate financial barriers, and increase programs and funding for prospective homebuyers.
To learn more about the Mayor’s Task Force for Racial and Ethnic Equality, please visit www.wpbequalitytaskforce.org.
As part of Mayor James’ 500 in 3 initiative, the city has committed to creating at least 500 units of affordable housing within three years. Through its Housing and Community Development Department (HCD), the city has already completed 64% of its goal.
To learn more about the city’s affordable housing initiatives, please call the HCD at (561) 822-1250 (TTY: 800-955-8771) or visit www.wpb.org/hcd.
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