Black Policy Month Rhode Island '24 Briefs!
Thank you for your interest in our first Black Policy Month Rhode Island Symposium. Here are some resources to review prior to the event. Please share. #BPMRI
The State of Black Rhode Island
1.) Home Ownership Brief:
The "State of Black Rhode Island Homeownership Report," authored by Akilah Dulin, Katelyn Starks, Malina Yago, and Kobi Dennis, delves into the disparities in homeownership rates between Black Americans and other racial groups in Rhode Island. It highlights the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Black Rhode Islanders in achieving homeownership, which has implications for economic stability and wealth accumulation.
Key points of the report include:
The lower rates of homeownership among Black Americans compared to White, Asian, and Hispanic Americans, both nationally and in Rhode Island.
Benefits of homeownership such as housing stability, better quality of housing, easier budget management, and wealth accumulation through home value appreciation.
Historic barriers to homeownership for Black Americans, including redlining, racially restrictive housing covenants, and the GI Bill's limited effectiveness for Black veterans.
Current challenges include discrimination in mortgage lending, lower income levels, less access to credit, and higher mortgage interest rates for Black homeowners.
The report also outlines recommendations to improve Black homeownership rates in Rhode Island, such as creating financing programs for individuals with lower credit scores, increasing access to small-dollar mortgage assistance, expanding Community Development Financial Institution networks, enhancing federal housing programs, and engaging in targeted outreach efforts.
These recommendations are designed to address both the historical and current barriers to homeownership for Black Rhode Islanders, ultimately aiming to close the racial homeownership gap and promote economic equity.
For detailed insights, you can refer to the report pages 1-8:
HIGHLIGHTS
Key solutions include:
Creating Financing Programs for Black People with Lower Credit Scores: Programs that provide mortgage lending at lower interest rates for Black applicants with credit scores of at least 620. This is to counteract racial biases in credit score determination and credit access, acknowledging that Black applicants generally have lower median credit scores than White applicants.
Increasing Access to Small-Dollar Mortgage Assistance: Proposing mortgage assistance in the range of $10,000 to $70,000 for single-family properties for Black homeowners and homes in Black neighborhoods. For example, programs offering $15,000 could help 1 million Black renters become homeowners and reduce the Black-White homeownership gap by 12%.
Expanding Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Networks: Strengthening local CDFI networks to direct financial resources to groups historically facing low homeownership due to structural barriers like racism.
Expanding Federal Programs through FHA and HUD: Targeted lending to Black individuals, particularly in neighborhoods that experienced intentional disinvestment. For instance, in 2019, 37% of Black homebuyers purchased homes using FHA mortgages compared to 14% of White home buyers.
Engaging in Targeted Outreach Efforts: Increasing awareness, visibility, and access to down payment assistance and other homeownership assistance programs for Black Rhode Islanders.
Addressing Perceived Barriers to Homeownership: Understanding and addressing the reasons why few Black Rhode Islanders apply for mortgage loans to purchase homes.
Supporting Programs to Prevent Foreclosure Risk: Helping people in homeowner-occupied neighborhoods at risk of foreclosure, especially where a significant portion of residents are Black homeowners.
Supporting Changes in Mortgage and Lending Practices: Advocating for policies that support mortgage loan modifications and reduce paperwork and access burdens.
These solutions are crucial for improving Black homeownership rates and addressing the racial homeownership gap in Rhode Island.
For more details on these solutions, refer to the report pages 6-8:
2.) Criminal Justice Brief:
The "State of Black Rhode Island Criminal Justice Report" provides a comprehensive analysis of the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on Black Rhode Islanders. Key highlights from the report include:
Disproportionate Impact: The report underscores that Black people in the U.S., and particularly in Rhode Island, are disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system. This is evident in the incarceration rates, where Black adults are incarcerated at much higher rates than White adults. For example, in 2020, the incarceration rate for Black adults was 1,234 per 100,000 compared to 223 per 100,000 for White adults in the U.S. Similarly, in Rhode Island, 1,319 per 100,000 Black Rhode Islanders were incarcerated compared to 134 per 100,000 White Rhode Islanders in 2020【Pages 2-3】.
Historical Context: The report discusses the historical context contributing to these disparities, tracing back to practices and laws from the 1700s through the early 1900s. It highlights the role of slave patrols, "Negro codes", and later, the "Get Tough on Crime" laws of the late 1980s, which disproportionately impacted Black communities through policies like mandatory minimum sentences and the criminalization of crack cocaine over powder cocaine【Page 5】.
Current Contexts: In modern times, over-policing of Black, low-income communities has led to increased exposure to the criminal justice system. This includes racial profiling in traffic stops and biased predictive policing algorithms. Additionally, Black people are more likely to experience aggressive police force, higher arrest rates, and harsher sentences compared to White people【Pages 6-7】.
Policy Recommendations: The report proposes several policy solutions to reduce these disparities, including:
Legislators committing to reduce the Black/White racial disparity in incarceration.
Implementing racial equity impact assessments in all criminal justice legislation.
Creating a central hub for conducting racial equity impact assessment analyses.
Pushing for bail reform legislation to address pretrial detention disparities.
Applying racial equity assessments to policies introducing racial and ethnic fairness in courts【Pages 7-8】.
Disclaimers and Funding: The research and report were funded by the United Way of Rhode Island, with the acknowledgment that the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Way of Rhode Island【Page 8】.
This report is a critical resource for understanding the systemic issues affecting Black Rhode Islanders within the criminal justice system and offers concrete policy recommendations for addressing these challenges. State of Black Rhode Island Criminal Justice Report, pages 2-8
HIGHLIGHTS
The "State of Black Rhode Island Criminal Justice Report" offers several policy solutions to reduce the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on Black Rhode Islanders:
Reducing Racial Disparities in Incarceration: The report calls for Rhode Island state representatives and senators to commit to passing legislation that reduces the Black/White racial disparity in incarceration. The goal is to reduce the disparity in Rhode Island by 2025 so that it is on par with the national rate, with further reductions positioning Rhode Island as a leader in criminal justice reform【Page 7】.
Racial Equity Impact Assessments: The Rhode Island General Assembly is urged to pass legislation that requires racial equity impact assessments for all criminal justice system legislation. These assessments use statistical approaches to determine how policy decisions impact different racial and ethnic groups and serve functions like legislative scoring, enhanced review, resource allocation, and performance improvement. The assessments aim to reduce racial disparities, increase racial equity, and avoid unintended negative effects of legislation【Page 7】.
Creation of a Central Hub for Racial Equity Impact Assessment Analyses: Legislation is suggested to create a center to serve as the central hub where racial equity impact assessment analyses will be conducted, taking inspiration from models like the Council Office of Racial Equity in Washington D.C. and the Race and Social Justice Initiative in Seattle, Washington【Page 8】.
Bail Reform Legislation: The report recommends that the Rhode Island General Assembly should pass bail reform legislation, citing the disproportionate pretrial detention of Rhode Islanders who are unable to pay bail compared to their better-resourced counterparts. Bail reform could reduce racial disparities in the jailed population and have economic benefits【Page 8】.
Applying Racial Equity Assessments in Courts: The Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Rhode Island Courts is advised to apply racial equity assessments to their policies which propose to introduce racial and ethnic fairness in the courts. These assessments should be made publicly available【Page 8】.
These solutions are aimed at addressing systemic issues within the criminal justice system in Rhode Island and promoting greater racial equity and fairness. State of Black Rhode Island Criminal Justice Report, pages 7-8
3.) Cannabis Justice!
RI Cannabis - Social Equity Assistance Fund - Budgeting Model
- Check out CURRENT vs what it would look like if it were funded with 50% of the cannabis tax revenue (view plan B)Please support by signing the petition today!
4.) A Bill introduction for a Governor Pardon formal process
Juan Wilson Jr , The MUSE Foundation of Rhode Island has worked with Representative David Morales to compose a bill to form a State Commission on Pardons to create a formal application and process to recommend pardon candidates to the Governor.
Bill # H7638