Jaclene Begley
Fannie Mae

Christopher Herbert
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

Michael LaCour-Little
Fannie Mae

Kristin Perkins
Georgetown University

Jonathan Spader
U.S. Census Bureau

Disclaimer:
The views expressed are the authors’ alone and not those of Fannie Mae, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or the U.S. Census Bureau. Jonathan Spader’s contributions to this article were conducted at the Joint Center for Housing Studies prior to his current employment at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Homeownership has long been a central pillar of financial security for American families. The inclusion of homeownership in the American Dream reflects its close association with wealth creation and residential stability. A decade after the depths of the foreclosure crisis, however, important questions remain about the reliance of U.S. households on homeownership, the different financial options for achieving homeownership, and homeownership’s role in facilitating wealth building and financial security.