In this UCLA Luskin Lecture, experts in housing and real estate will discuss what they and others are doing to address the challenges of limited wealth, investment, and ownership in Black communities, and to improve housing opportunities in those neighborhoods.
Housing and real estate development were instrumental in the concentration of Black disadvantage in U.S. cities. Government and private actors erected barriers to investment in Black communities and homeownership by Black households, producing a system that equates housing conditions with race. Now, many Black neighborhoods are locked in a downward spiral of devaluation, disinvestment, and deterioration. When investments are made, low homeownership rates in Black neighborhoods mean many longtime residents do not benefit from rising property values, and they are increasingly priced out of rental housing as well.
This panel discussion will feature Devean George, a three-time NBA champion with the Lakers and current president of Building Blocks, a housing development company in Minneapolis; Malcolm Johnson, CEO of Langdon Park Capital, which invests in affordable and workforce housing in Black and Latino communities; and Malika Billingslea, senior development advisor at NEOO Partners, a commercial real estate development and planning firm. In a session moderated by Professor Michael Lens, they will discuss the history of Black disadvantage in U.S. cities and provide real-world examples of how they and other Black leaders are investing in Black communities and housing.
