The Tudors' Path to Homeownership

In 1985, Mr. and Mrs. Tudor began to carve out their path to the American Dream– homeownership. As long-time Avondale-Evanston residents, they knew they wanted to stay close to their neighborhood, and as luck would have it, they found a home on Alaska Avenue, the neighborhood Mr. Tudor grew up in. From its location and price to its undeniable charm, everything about this home seemed to be perfect. They took the leap and submitted their home mortgage loan application to their local bank. Despite both being full-time employees, having excellent credit, and earning a combined annual salary more than the total mortgage, their loan application was denied.

Confused, the couple consulted with their friends and colleagues on their experience and found that they weren’t the only strong borrowers being turned down. There were stories of widespread housing discrimination against Black families in Cincinnati, from lenders, realtors, and insurers making the process difficult to straight out turning families away. Among the friends they confided in, Mr. Tudor’s strong circle of friends from Walnut Hills High School were especially supportive, with one recommending he reach out to an organization called Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati.

That week, the Tudors reached out to HOME, who took their case and began their investigation. A few weeks later, the Tudors got their loan and officially closed on their home on New Years Eve of ‘85. Relieved to have a place to call home, the Tudors could finally relax and focus on getting ready for their baby on the way!

40 years later, the Tudors made a life around that home. The home was renovated into four separate apartments— homing the Tudors and their three sons, Anthony, Fredd III, and Andrew, as well as a rotating door of family members. Most notably, owning this home created the opportunity for Mr. Tudor’s father to live in one of the apartments and become the primary source of childcare for his grandchildren. The Tudors also leveraged their home’s equity to invest in their family’s future by sending the three Tudor sons to college, taking out money to put down payments on two other homes, and laying the foundation for generational wealth.

Having experienced this firsthand during their upbringing, Andrew and Fred III—two of the Tudor sons—are now partners at their own investment company dedicated to addressing the racial wealth gap through financial coaching and planning. Andrew thanked HOME for its work, saying, “HOME is here to help protect equality in housing, especially now more than ever. If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t. It can be hard to fight without outside help or experts—having an organization with the understanding and funding to make homeownership possible is a vital resource.”

Buying a home isn’t a small feat. The process of finding a home you like, applying for and getting approved for a loan, and everything in between leading up to the purchase is an uphill battle, but the reward is undeniable.

While homeownership is at the forefront of creating wealth in this country, it’s no secret that the Black community has had a very late start to game. From racial covenants to redlining, systemic discrimination has repeatedly denied Black families the opportunity to own homes, and this history is reflected in the racial disparities we see today. In Hamilton County specifically, the gap in Black homeownership stands at a staggering 40%. That’s why HOME created a Roadmap for Increasing Black Homeownership, addressing this gap, and continues to release reports like our Lending Report, calling attention to the disparities in lending like the Tudor family experienced. Although the Tudor’s experience with housing discrimination happened 40 years ago, there continues to be cases like these today. That’s why HOME has remained steadfast in its commitment to enforcing housing regulations and ensuring everyone has equal access to safe and fair housing opportunities since 1968. Through assisting tenants facing instability, holding housing providers accountable, and educating the public on fair housing rights, HOME is committed to fostering diverse, stable, and thriving communities. HOME believes that where you live should be based on choice.