Should ownership programs better aid low and moderate income working families with children?
The continuing lag in homeownership among non-Hispanic white working families with children compared to other nonelderly households in the same income range raises basic questions about the targeting of current ownership programs. Although few ownership programs are specifically directed at families with children, justifications for encouraging ownership repeatedly cite the advantages of ownership for children. Trends in ownership rates and critical needs suggest strongly that low-income renters with children, particularly minority single parents, have more pressing needs for homeownership than other working households. In examining these trends, the experiences of households with low incomes (below 80% of area median income) are distinguished from those of households with moderate incomes (between 80% and 120%) because the main programs supporting ownership are aimed at one or the other of these income groups. Our focus on families with children makes this distinction particularly rel
