The racial wealth gap in the United States has witnessed alarming growth in recent years, with BIPOC households now possessing less than 25% of the wealth held by their white counterparts. A substantial portion of this wealth gap can be attributed to disparities in housing. Owning a home remains a principal method for building and transferring wealth, constituting approximately 70% of an individual’s net worth. However, challenges such as housing discrimination, restrictive zoning laws, income disparities and lending practices have created barriers to homeownership, particularly for BIPOC individuals and first-time homebuyers.

Real estate lawyers and practitioners have a unique opportunity to address this critical issue by creating new pathways to homeownership for increasingly diverse communities. We invite you to join this critical examination of how real estate law plays a pivotal role in the short-term provision of affordable housing to underserved communities and, in the long term, contributes to the wealth accumulation of Black individuals and families.

RSVP HERE!

Schedule (Subject to Change)

7:15 AM - 8:00 AM Registration and Breakfast

8:00 AM - 8:10 AM Opening Remarks

• Dean Eboni Nelson, UConn School of Law

8:10 AM - 9:10 AM Housing, Real Estate and Lending Discrimination

• Prof. Nadiyah Humber, UConn School of Law
• Attorney Judith Rothschild, City of Hartford Director of Licenses and Inspections, Housing Liaison
• Attorney Michael Powers, CATIC Title Counsel

9:20 AM - 10:35 AM Affordable Housing, Zoning and Law Reform

• Prof. Kristen Haseney, UConn School of Business 
• Pete Harrison, Director of Desegregate CT & CT State Director, Regional Plan Association  
• Attorney William Hennessey Jr., Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP 
• Attorney Dwight Merriam

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM Community Education and Coalition Building

• Prof. Kristen Haseney, UConn School of Business 
• Fanita Borges, Residential Sales Manager, Affordable Lending Officers, Liberty Bank  
• Marcus Smith, Director, Research, Marketing and Outreach, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority
• Marcus Ordoñez, Executive Director, Hartford Land Bank

RSVP HERE!

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Law School at 860-570-5079 or via email at law.studentservices@uconn.edu at least two weeks in advance.