{"id":19245,"date":"2020-09-30T16:20:40","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T23:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=19245"},"modified":"2026-04-15T02:27:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T09:27:23","slug":"buyer-interlocking-oppressions-and-real-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-interlocking-oppressions-and-real-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"How Interlocking Oppressions Create a Massive Homeownership Wealth Gap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Homeownership is still considered a major hallmark of the American Dream<\/a>, and it\u2019s one of the most important ways to build wealth. Yet the opportunities of homeownership don\u2019t play out evenly for all, which lead to wealth gaps that are driven by interlocking oppressions in real estate.<\/p>\n

In fact, federal government data shows<\/a> that home equity and retirement accounts \u2014 just two assets \u2014\u00a0make up nearly 63% of all U.S. households\u2019 net worth.<\/p>\n

And for people with multiple levels of marginalization \u2014 or those facing interlocking oppressions \u2014 the effects of that inequality are especially pronounced.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll walk through the basics on interlocking oppressions, and the latest research on how they can play out in real estate. Here\u2019s what Americans need to know.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Gabriela Pereira \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What are interlocking oppressions in real estate?<\/h2>\n

Interlocking oppressions are often discussed through the framework of intersectionality. You\u2019ve probably heard of intersectionality, as it\u2019s a pretty hot-button issue<\/a> these days. But what does it mean, exactly?<\/p>\n

The term \u201cintersectionality\u201d was originally coined by Black activist and scholar Kimberl\u00e9 Williams Crenshaw in 1989. Intersectionality describes how people can experience multiple, overlapping layers of marginalization simultaneously \u2014\u00a0hence the term interlocking<\/i> oppressions.<\/p>\n

For example, a Black woman experiences intersecting levels of marginalization because she is both Black and a woman. That means we can\u2019t understand her experiences solely through the lens of being a woman, or the lens of being a Black person. We have to learn to understand how her intersecting experiences are unique because she\u2019s both Black and a woman<\/i>.<\/p>\n

People can experience interlocking oppressions based on gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, body size, sex, and more.<\/p>\n

You might be wondering, \u201cwhat does all of this interlocking oppression stuff have to do with real estate?\u201d<\/p>\n

Interlocking oppressions can have real-life consequences for homeowners across the U.S. Let\u2019s look at some numbers that indicate how this theory plays out when it comes to how much we earn, where we live, and the wealth we accrue as a result.<\/p>\n

Income levels by race and gender<\/h2>\n

One big way we can see interlocking oppressions play out is through disparate levels of earnings.<\/p>\n

For example, it\u2019s a commonly cited statistic that women earn roughly 79 cents on the dollar compared with men (though more recent studies find that gap to be more like 82 cents on the dollar<\/a>). But for Black women, median earnings are actually much lower.<\/p>\n

Here are median income levels by race and gender<\/a>:<\/p>\n