Danielle Samalin on the importance of fair housing

This week, HousingWire’s Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler interviews Danielle Samalin, CEO of Framework Homeownership.  In this episode, Samalin discusses the importance of fair housing, and how homeowners can protect their biggest and most valuable investment toward wealth creation.

Here is a small preview of the interview, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Sarah Wheeler: Biden has clearly made addressing housing discrimination and fair housing a priority. In light of his recent executive order, what are some changes you expect to see?

Danielle Samalin: I was certainly among those who celebrated the significance of President Biden’s executive order, as this was the first time the federal government formally acknowledged the role it played in the history of housing discrimination in this country. And truly, the federal government did design and implement racial segregation programs under the New Deal, which had a lasting impact, from the 1930s through the 1960s, which provided a critical wealth-building foundation for future generations that non-white families simply did not have. This is a historical fact, and yet, so few people know about this critical moment in American history that changed so many people’s trajectories. I think that by articulating this so clearly, in that executive order, without defensiveness, it really does signal an openness to policy shift, and to new approaches that promote equitable wealth-building through homeownership.

The Housing News podcast explores the most important topics happening in mortgage, real estate, and fintech. Each week a new mortgage or real estate executive joins the show to add perspective to the top stories crossing HousingWire’s news desk. Hosted by Sarah Wheeler and produced by Alcynna Lloyd.