The present racial inequities in homeownership and entrepreneurship in Saint Paul are inextricable from the city’s history. While the Twin Cities have grown and maintained as a headquarters for billion-dollar companies across industries, BIPOC communities have been systemically excluded from wealth building opportunities, and in some cases have had their wealth destroyed, like in the case of the destruction of the Rondo community. The impact of this history has contributed to the Twin Cities having the starkest racial inequities in the United States across all areas of quality of life.
As Saint Paul reckons with the challenges of its BIPOC residents, the city has tremendous opportunity and assets to bring to bear in rectifying these injustices and creating a more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant city. While this research focused on the opportunities to increase BIPOC homeownership and entrepreneurship as key pathways for building multigenerational wealth, action in these areas must be undertaken in concert with advancing equity in other areas crucial to wellbeing and mobility, such as health, education, rental markets, workforce development and policy, and transportation.
