>> OUR WISCONSIN IN BLACK AND WHITE SERIES ON THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP FOCUSED ON THE BARRIERS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN WISCONSIN.

SPECIAL PROJECT JOURNALIST, MURV SEYMORE, LAUNCHED THE FRONTAGE AND TONIGHT HAS THIS REPORT ON WORK IN TWO CITIES TO GET PEOPLE INTO THEIR OWN HOMES, STARTING FIRST IN MILWAUKEE.

>> THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE HAS A $5,000 GRANT BUT YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE.

>> SCHOOL IS ALWAYS IN AT MILWAUKEE AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

>> THE MINIMAL CREDIT SCORE REQUIREMENT TO GET PREAPPROVED FOR A HOME LOAN IS 620.

>> ON THIS DAY.

>> MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PAYING YOUR BILLS ON TIME.

>> A MENTORING GROUP THAT HELPS BLACK AND PRONOUN MEN GET THROUGH COLLEGE LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A HOMEOWNER.

>> YOU NEED TO SHOWED THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING FOR SIX MONTHS TO AID YEAR.

>> THE GOAL IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

>> I THINK HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS A DREAM THAT MANY DON'T BELIEVE THEY CAN ACHIEVE.

>> WHEN I BOUGHT THAT COMPLEX, I WAS NOT MAKING ANY MONEY AT ALL.

>> IT'S MORE ABOUT A PLACE TO STAY.

YOU'REIBLE YOUR FUTURE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO RENT FROM SOMEONE AND PAY THEIR MORTGAGE WHEN YOU COULD BE PAYING YOUR OWN MORTGAGE.

>> THE ALVARADO GROUP IS A SMALL BROKERAGE.

>> FROM A SMALL OFFICE JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM CAMP RANDALL STADIUM IN MADISON, OWNERS OF ALVARADO REALTY GROUP LOOK TO CHANGE THE GAME IN REAL ESTATE.

>> WE ARE UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT SUPPORTING BLACK AND BROWN HOMEOWNERSHIP.

>> THEY PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS.

SARAH ADMITS GROWING UP, SHE THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD AN EQUAL PATH TOWARDS OWNING A HOME.

>> AT LAST, THE BRYANTS HAVE ALL THE SPACE THEY NEED.

BIG FLOOR-TO-CEILING CLOSETS FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.

>> IF YOUR PARENTS GO TO COLLEGE, YOU ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE.

IF THEY HAVE A HOUSE, YOU ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HOUSE, UNTIL YOU START WORKING WITH PEOPLE AND THEY SAY, OH, MY GOSH, IT'S MY DREAM TO HAVE A HOME.

>> RACE-BASED POLICIES LIKE REDLINING HAVE KEPT HOMEOWNERSHIP OUT OF REACH FOR MOST BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES.

>> DANE COUNTY NUMBERS, IT'S 15% OF FAMILIES THAT ARE BLACK OR BROWN OWNED HOMES COMPARED TO 65% OF WHITE FAMILIES.

IN IS THE 6 WHEN THEY HAD THE FAIR HOUSING ACT IN 1968 AND THEN THEY SAID, OKAY, NOW NO DISCRIMINATION, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE GO AHEAD AND TRY AND CATCH UP TO THIS ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN SEGREGATED ON PURPOSE AND THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN SEGREGATED ON PURPOSE, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEIR -- WITHOUT THERE BEING A PLAN OF SOME SORT?

>> SARA AND HER HUSBAND'S PLAN IS CALLED OWN IT, BUILDING BLACK WEALTH.

>> IT IS A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH AN EDUCATION ASPECT TO IT.

>> IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE CITY SCHOOLS FOR MORE THAN 85% OF THE STUDENTS ARE BLACK AND BROWN, FUNDS ARE $15,000 PAYMENT TOWARDS A HOME FOR ANY ONE CITY TEACHER OR PARENT.

>> FOR ABOUT LEARNING AND TEACHING ABOUT WEALTH BUILDING BECAUSE WEALTH BUILDING IN ITSELF IS CRITICAL AND THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.

>> FUELED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS, INVESTORS, HOMEOWNERS, AND ANYONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE NARROW AT THIS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND PROCEEDS FROM HOME SALES DRIVE OWN IT.

>> WE GET A LOT OF CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WE'VE HAD SELLERS WHO, AT THE TIME OF CLOSING, WRITE A CHECK.

SOMETIMES IT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS.

>> MEET JODIE POPE AND HER SON, CAMERON.

>> WE KNEW NOTHING AS CHILDREN, REALLY, ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP.

>> WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FINGERS ON THERE, WHAT DOES IT DO?

>> SINCE OWN IT TOOK LAUNCH IN 2020, THE SINGLE MOM IS ONE OF 10 FAMILIES IN THE MADISON AREA WHO NOW PROUDLY OWNS AND NO LONGER RENTS BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAM.

>> HOMEOWNERSHIP IS SIGNIFICANT.

IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL PROCESS BECAUSE I ALMOST DIDN'T GET THE KEYS.

>> THIS WAS MY SEVENTH OFFER.

>> WE MODE WITH HER DAYS AWAY FROM THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOVE-IN.

>> IT'S OURS.

IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF PRIDE, OF OWNERSHIP.

I'VE KIND OF LEANED INTO MY PROJECTS AND I'VE HUNG DRYWALL, I'VE PAINTED.

MY SON AND I ARE SOCIAL AND I LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HOST PEOPLE OVER HERE.

NO ONE CAN TELL YOU TO LEAVE.

NO ONE CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO.

YOU CAN PAINT THE WALL.

YOU CAN PUT STEPH CURRY STICKERS ALL OVER THE WALL AND ON THE CEILING FAN.

>> HIS MOM SAYS GRADUALLY CAMERON IS GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR NEW COMMUNITY.

>> MY SON CAN WALK TO SCHOOL.

HE NEVER HAS HAD THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXPERIENCE OF HAVING FRIENDS THAT LIVE TWO AND THREE DOORS DOWN.

BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT STABILITY, TO GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, FROM HERE OUT, RIGHT, THAT TYPE OF STABILITY TO FORM THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDSHIPS, WITH TEACHERS, WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS KEY.

>> JODI SAYS MOST IMPORTANTLY, HER SON IS LEARNING ABOUT WEALTH AND HOMEOWNERSHIP.

>> TO TEACH HIM HOW TO PUT A NEW HANDLE ON A TOILET, WHICH I'VE DONE, HOW TO UNCLOG A GARBAGE DISPOSAL.

OUR HOUSING PRICES, RENTAL PRICES, IT LEAVES US OUT.

WE NEED TO DO THIS.

>> THE NAME ON IT REPRESENTS -- OWN IT REPRESENTS THE PAINFUL PAST.

>> OWNING THE HISTORY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY.

>> WHILE SUPPORTING THE PROMISING FUTURE.

>> IT IS LITERALLY ME OWNING THIS PLACE.

>> REPORTING FOR "HERE & NOW," I'M MURV SEYMORE.

>> NEXT WEEK ON WISCONSIN IN BLACK AND WHITE, A LOOK AT HEALTH DIVIDES IN WISCONSIN.

FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBS WISCONSIN