Exploring Data and Research on Homeownership Disparities and Disparate Treatment for Applicants or Borrowers Identifying as LGBTQ+

Data and research on housing experiences and challenges among members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) are quite limited. Many surveys started collecting self-reported sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in recent years, including Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey. These surveys have been gathering new information from people who identified themselves as LGBTQ+ regarding their arrangements, attitudes, and circumstances that pertain to housing and mortgage markets. Results generally point to that the overall homeownership rate among LGBTQ+ consumers is significantly lower than the rate among non-LGBTQ+ individuals. Furthermore, existing research on the disparities in mortgage lending for applicants and borrowers identifying as LGBTQ+ tend to focus on two stages: mortgage shopping and application outcomes. Lenders do collect data on applicants’ and borrowers’ gender, allowing for analyses comparing same-sex to different-sex applicants and borrowers by estimating relationships. However, this approach captures only probable coupled LGBTQ+ households while ignoring completely single LGBTQ+ individuals. This paper identifies existing statistics and literature on homeownership experiences and disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S.

To learn more, read the full paper: Exploring Data and Research on Homeownership Disparities and Disparate Treatment for Applicants or Borrowers Identifying as LGBTQ+ (PDF)

Related Link
Fannie Mae Now Collects First-of-Its-Kind LGBT Data Through National Housing Survey