Karen Black

More Than a House: Home Repair, Wealth and the Stakes of Black Homeownership in Richmond, Virginia

For low-income Black homeowners in Richmond, Virginia, a house is not merely a financial asset — it is a life’s work, a family anchor, and in many cases, the only intergenerational wealth a family has. But for many of these homeowners, the ability to hold on to thatasset has been eroding, one deferred repair at … Continue reading More Than a House: Home Repair, Wealth and the Stakes of Black Homeownership in Richmond, Virginia

Preparing for Change: How Allegheny County’s Property Assessment Will Affect Homeowners and Communities

Property tax reassessments have real consequences for homeowners and communities. In Preparing for Change: How Allegheny County’s Property Assessment Will Affect Homeowners and Communities, in partnership with Reinvestment Fund and Center for Economic Policy Analysis, May 8 examines what impact tax increases will have on Allegheny County Pennsylvania households whose homes may have doubled in … Continue reading Preparing for Change: How Allegheny County’s Property Assessment Will Affect Homeowners and Communities

Louisville Home Repair Needs Assessment

As homes and their owners age, unchecked deterioration is threatening the viability of low-income homeownership, the physical integrity of affordable housing, and the safety and health of those who live there. This Louisville Home Repair Needs Assessment Executive Summary summarizes the findings of a 6-month 2025 assessment in partnership with Louisville Metro Government. An estimated … Continue reading Louisville Home Repair Needs Assessment

Home Repair Needs Assessments

We are working with cities and counties to preserve low-income homeownership, prevent displacement and help Seniors to age in place. A May 8 Home Repair Needs Assessment quantifies who is currently being served with home repair assistance, estimates the level of unmet need and presents recommendations to build a more resilient, effective and equitable home … Continue reading Home Repair Needs Assessments

Keynote at ReFrame Conference November 12, 2025

Karen Black gave the keynote address at the upcoming Coalition for Home Repair Conference! The focus of the keynote is on home repair as a strategy to preserve privately owned affordable housing. View the presentation that provoked an important conversation about how cities can better invest in preserving the homes people already live in.

Public Policy Blind Spots Are Putting Condominiums as a Housing Model – And Their Owners – At Risk

Condominiums play an important role in providing affordable homeownership to first time homeowners and retirees. Fifty years after condominiums became a popular housing model, policy makers are encouraging more condominium construction to provide needed affordable housing and entryways into homeownership. But several inherent weaknesses in the condominium model must be addressed to provide affordable and … Continue reading Public Policy Blind Spots Are Putting Condominiums as a Housing Model – And Their Owners – At Risk

The Kensington Corridor Trust:  The First Four Years

This City Case explores the first four years of the Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT), a neighborhood trust started in 2019 with the mission to acquire and redevelop real estate on Kensington Avenue, a disinvested commercial corridor in a low-income Philadelphia neighborhood and place it into long-term community control to preserve affordability while building neighborhood power … Continue reading The Kensington Corridor Trust:  The First Four Years