Unequal Opportunity Fact Sheet, March 2013
Using available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data and controlling for loan-to-income ratios, we find significant disparities in access by women across racial and ethnic groups to mortgages for purchasing and refinancing their homes as compared to men. These findings raise concerns about the growing income and wealth gap for women and illustrate the need for improvements in HMDA data collection and fair lending enforcement.