New NAHREP Report Finds Despite Pandemic, Hispanics Drive Homeownership Growth for Sixth Consecutive Year

Roadblocks include low inventory, tight mortgage credit rules, immigration reform

SAN DIEGO— 20 April 2021—The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals^® released the 2020 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report today which examines progress made in the last year towards the organization’s mission of increasing sustainable Hispanic homeownership. The release of the report coincides with the start of the second part of NAHREP’s National Convention & Housing Policy Summit which resumes today and runs until Thursday April 22.

Report Highlights

SUSTAINED HOMEOWNERSHIP GROWTH DESPITE PANDEMIC

For the sixth consecutive year, Latinos increased their homeownership rate, despite the pandemic. Over 600,000 Latinos purchased a home with a mortgage in 2020, an increase of 13.0 percent from 2019.

LATINOS DRIVING DEMAND FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP

The overwhelming amount of Latinos aging into prime home buying years remains the biggest catalyst for homeownership growth. With a median age of 29.8, Latinos are almost 14 years younger than the non-Hispanic White population. In 2020, nearly half (43.6 percent) of Latino homebuyers were under the age of 34 compared to 37.3 percent of the general population.

FORGING FUTURE OF HOUSING MARKET

Over the past decade, Latinos have accounted for over 50 percent of homeownership growth in the U.S.

COVID-19 TAKES A TOLL ON LATINO WORKERS

Due to Latino over-representation in the service industry, the annual unemployment rate for Latinos in 2020 was 10.4 percent, the highest annual average since 2011.Latinas were hit with the highest unemployment rate in 2020 of any group and have yet to fully recover. This is coupled with Latinas having the largest pay discrepancy in the nation, 55 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white males.

RECORD LOW HOUSING INVENTORY

The lack of affordable housing inventory remains the number one barrier to advancing sustainable Hispanic homeownership. When looking at the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) where Latinos purchased the most homes in 2019, housing inventory dropped an average of 50.6 percent in suburban neighborhoods and 26.6 percent in urban neighborhoods, according to Realtor.com.

TIGHT MORTGAGE CREDIT

Latinos have a median credit score of 668, a Debt-to-Income Ratio of 41 percent, and purchase homes with a median down payment of 3.5 percent, making them particularly vulnerable to underwriting changes.

“Despite significant headwinds, Latinos drove homeownership growth in America for the sixth consecutive year,” said Gary Acosta, NAHREP Co-Founder & CEO. “This was especially consequential in 2020 because it was housing more than any other sector that pulled the country out of the coronavirus-induced recession.”

“A strong work ethic lifted Latino homebuyers to near record numbers,” said Sara Rodriguez, NAHREP 2021 National President. “Improvements to housing supply and mortgage credit rules will ensure robust growth for the next decade and beyond.”

NAHREP Housing Policy Summit Participants

The NAHREP Housing Policy Summit features federal housing and senior policy officials discussing present housing issues including immigration reform, overcoming COVID-19 as a small business, the housing inventory crisis, redefining the credit box, down payment assistance and more.

Participants to the National Convention and Housing Policy Summit include Administration officials and Congressional leaders:

S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge
S. Senator Bob Menendez, New Jersey
S. Senator Alex Padilla, California
S. Congressman Tony Cárdenas, CA-29 Congressional District
S. Congressman Raul Ruiz, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair, CA-36 Congressional District
S. Congressman Ruben Gallego, AZ-7 Congressional District
S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman
HUD Senior Advisor for Housing Finance, Alanna McCargo
White House National Economic Council Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti
White House Deputy Director for Public Engagement Adrian Saenz

See full Agenda here

Media Registration is available here

Questions and Media contact:
Katherine Wood
NAHREP
press@nahrep.org
(619) 719-4814