The Week Ahead: Overcoming Barriers to Create Economic Equality

This week, the House Financial Services Committee will host a virtual hearing, “By the Numbers: How Diversity Data Can Measure Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Set for Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. EST and hosted by the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, the hearing will take a deeper dive into leveling the playing field for all in terms of access to credit and affordable homeownership.

Earlier this week, a virtual hearing titled “Justice for All: Achieving Racial Equity Through Fair Access to Housing and Financial Services” was held by the House Financial Services Committee, and next week’s event looks to further expand that dialogue in relation to equality in the financial services market.

“It is an unfortunate truth that such injustices persist today, including in the form of barriers that systematically exclude people and communities of color from fair access to housing and homeownership; from access to credit, capital and other financial services; and from opportunities to lead and direct economic policy at the highest levels of the United States government and major corporations,” said Rep. Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee. “All of these barriers have drastically curtailed opportunities for communities of color to build wealth and thrive in our society.”

“By the Numbers: How Diversity Data Can Measure Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” will explore methods, initiatives, and measures that can be taken to promote financial and economic inclusion for all, and will feature a host of participants, both members of the Subcommittee and private sector to be announced.

Here's what else is happening in The Week Ahead:

• MBA Forbearance and Call Volume Survey (Monday)
• FHFA Home Price Index (Tuesday)
• MBA Weekly Applications Survey (Wednesday)
• Realtor.com Weekly Housing Market Recap (Wednesday)
• U.S. Census Bureau New Residential Sales report (Wednesday)
• Realtor.com’s Housing Market Recovery Index (Thursday)
• Realtor.com’s Weekly Housing Trends View (Thursday)
• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (Thursday)
• U.S. Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (Thursday)
• NAR Pending Home Sales report (Thursday)
• Black Knight weekly forbearance data (Friday)