When it comes to boosting black wealth, the disparity between white and African-American homeownership rates is a huge issue. A lot of factors play into these homeownership and wealth gaps, but one you may not have considered: Homebuyers of color are much less likely to receive funds as a gift from their relatives to put towards their down payment. About one-fourth to one-fifth of all homebuyers get some form of gift from their relatives that is used in exchange for a down payment on a home. The benefit of this is obvious, as down payments are often very expensive, and paying them is one of the most challenging parts of the homebuying process.  Because Hispanic and Black buyers are less likely to come from affluent families, they are less likely to receive helpful gifts. Homebuyers of color who lack financial support from their families may feel that closing on their dream home is impossible. Fortunately, there are many programs that can help you with your down payment! President Biden, for example, has proposed a $15,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers to put towards their down payment. However, on a larger scale, while these programs sometimes do a great deal to help individual homebuyers, they may not be enough to fix the entire problem. According to experts, the real issue is systemic and must be addressed as such in order to achieve substantial change.