Mapping Financial Access: An Examination of Banking Deserts and Homeownership Disparities in Minority Communities

This grant is co-funded by The Policy Academies.

Access to financial institutions is crucial for economic and social integration and enables wealth management and growth. However, there are stark disparities in financial access in the U.S., particularly in banking deserts—areas with few or no banks—which disproportionately impact racial minorities. Doctoral student in public and social policy Anwuli Okwuashi will examine how limited access to banks widens racial homeownership gaps. She will analyze Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data, DataAxle financial sector firm-level data, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Branch Locator Data, and data from the American Community Survey for her study.