Housing program builds on dream
October 26, 2018
Thirteen years after arriving in the United States from Algeria, Soraya Belfodil says she has a dream.
However, she doesn’t see it as a uniquely American dream.
“This is the dream of any human being — to buy a house,” she said.
However, studies show the dream is more difficult to obtain for minorities, especially in Minnesota, which reportedly has one of the highest racial homeownership gaps in the country.
According to the Minnesota Homeownership Center, 41 percent of households of color own a home in the state, compared to 76 percent of white households.
Bill Gray, stakeholder relations director for the center, said that gap of 35 percentage points has been stubborn statewide, even though the gap in Olmsted County is slightly less, at approximately 28 percentage points, according to Olmsted County Public Health’s latest Community Health Needs Assessment survey.