Conference Recap: All Recordings and Slide Decks are on AEI’s Website

Here’s your chance to look over any presentations from AEI’s 10th Annual Housing Conference — all recordings and slide decks are now available on the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) website. To visit the event page, please go to https://www.aei.org/events/10th-annual-housing-conference/

Event Summary

On November 17 and 18, the AEI Housing Center hosted its 10th annual housing conference, a two-day virtual conference. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) presented opening remarks on Congress’ housing reform efforts, and AEI’s Edward J. Pinto presented on the current bout of inflation. The other panels on November 17 focused on the state of the housing market, walkable-oriented development, the history of mortgage lending and risk, and the wealth-building home loan and the low-income first-time-homebuyer programs.

The second day of the conference highlighted AEI Housing Center research regarding claims of systemic racism in housing. Mr. Pinto and AEI’s Tobias J. Peter focused on the 2018 Brookings Institution study “The devaluation of assets in Black neighborhoods,” Freddie Mac’s research note “Racial and ethnic valuation gaps in home purchase appraisals,” and The Markup/Associated Press report “How we investigated racial disparities in federal mortgage data.” These analyses attribute large race-based differences in home values, home purchase appraisals, and mortgage decline rates to widespread racial bias, but the AEI Housing Center finds they are actually due largely to socioeconomic status (SES) differences. Recognizing SES factors is key to addressing systemic disadvantage.

After that, an interdisciplinary group of scholars offered policy solutions aimed at housing, family formation, intergenerational wealth, and educational attainment. The discussion focused on providing economically sound opportunities for lower-income households to build income and grow wealth.

Key Topics

Day 1,  Welcome Remarks, Presentation by Rep. French Hill & Panel I: Housing market update

Sissi Li and Tobias Peter Housing Market Update PPT

Ed Pinto Bonus Panel: Inflation Will Not Be Transitory PPT

Day 1, Panel II: Walkable-oriented development

Arthur Gailes Walkable Oriented Development PPT

Day 1, Panel III: A quarter century of mortgage risk (begins at 1:24:17)

Steve Oliner A Quarter Center of Mortgage Risk PPT

Day 1, Panel IV: Wealth Building Home Loan and LIFT Home

Ed Pinto LIFT Home PPT

Day 2, Opening Remarks, Presentation by Robert Doar & Panel I: The AEI Housing Center’s findings on systemic racism and discrimination in property values, appraiser practices, and mortgage lending

Tobias Peter and Ed Pinto Systemic Bias or Systemic Disadvantage PPT

Day 2, Panel II: Housing and neighborhood solutions (begins at 1:31:14)

Ed Pinto and Tobias Peter Housing Solutions PPT

Day 2, Panel III: Higher education and workforce development

Day 2, Panel IV: K–12 education, education access, and university preparation

Day 2, Panel V: Family structure

Isabel Sawhill The Effects of Marriage on Children’s Outcomes PPT

James Heckman The Lasting Effects of Early Childhood Education PPT

Wendy Wang Family Trends PPT

Submitted by:

Edward J. Pinto
Director, AEI Housing Center
240-423-2848

American Enterprise Institute
1789 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036