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Forbes: 50-Year Mortgages

A 50-Year Mortgage Is A Crisis, Not A Solution

READ AISHA’S LATEST CONTRIBUTION TO FORBES HERE

“After a decade working side by side with families living in subsidized housing, if there’s one refrain that echoes through every conversation, it’s the hope of homeownership — the practical hope of leaving a valuable asset for future generations, as well as a deep yearning for the autonomy and privacy afforded by having a home of one’s own. Again and again, mothers tell me what they really want isn’t just a yard or extra bedroom, but dignity — the right to claim a home that’s theirs, that their children can remember as an anchor, not a rest stop. Nothing makes this more real than hearing about birthdays held in tight kitchens or kids doing homework on borrowed Wi-Fi, all for the possibility that one day, the sacrifices will pay off. Yet in this context, the recent proposal for 50-year mortgages made by the Trump administration lands not as a lifeline, but as a trap — a heavy shackle disguised as a helping hand, and the latest example of policies that promise much while leaving our most marginalized families burdened with more debt and fewer options.”

What would truly help? ⬇️

1. Short-term fixes like stretching out a bad loan simply don’t cut it. Instead, we need to focus on proven, equity-centered solutions: expanding affordable housing supply, investing in targeted down payment assistance and actively combating predatory lending that preys on desperation with false promises of accessibility. 

2. Real change demands policy that is not only attentive to what seems possible in the short term, but also to the history and reality of exclusion and financial harm borne by Black families and other marginalized groups. 

3. Wealth-building requires predictability, fair access to credit, support for first-time buyers — and, importantly, options for building equity, not just meeting a lender’s bottom line.

NonProfit Quarterly Column

How Black Women in the South Are Protecting Each Other in a Time of Crisis

“Protecting each other is what we’ve always had to do as Black women in the South. Black women have long been the backbone of our families and communities, often stepping into roles that require us to advocate for ourselves and those around us in ways our peers do not understand.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Forbes: AI Data Centers

The Rush To Build AI Data Centers Leaves Black Workers With New Risks

READ AISHA’S LATEST FORBES CONTRIBUTION HERE

“The speculation over the impact of AI has been the focus of conversations from corporate board rooms to grocery store checkout lines for several years now, with both the worry and the potential of such a disruptive invention increasing as the use of the technology broadens past Silicon Valley and to the general public. While the enthusiasm on AI varies, Pew research from earlier this year finds that both experts and everyday people say they want more control over how it’s used in their own lives. 

For those living in proximity to AI data centers, the concern includes more than only the potential for lost jobs; but also worsening health. In California, the heart of the AI boom, data centers are located in some of the state’s most polluted areas. A study published last year found that the household health burden from data centers in such economically disadvantaged areas could be 200x that of more affluent communities, with pollutants produced from training an AI model estimated to exceed that of 10,000 cross-country car trips.

Data centers — those sprawling warehouses powered by thousands of servers that fuel everything from online banking to social media posting — are only poised to proliferate, with Deloitte estimating their power demand to increase thirtyfold over the next decade. As they do, we must recognize and rewrite a familiar story of environmental burden, economic displacement and deepening inequality playing out in Black communities across the country. Black Americans are 75% more likely than the rest of the population to live near facilities that produce toxic waste, which worsens health disparities like asthma and cancer.”

Forbes: Facing Poverty’s Reality

YOU CAN READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

“Changing the story is imperative not only for justice, but also for economic vitality. People living in poverty — and those facing economic insecurity — are major contributors to the economy as workers, consumers and neighbors. When too many remain trapped by outsized housing costs, low wages, and inadequate health care, the entire economy suffers; with a disproportionate negative effect on people of color. Increased inequality leads to weaker demand, higher health and social costs and greater social instability.”