The Wealth Building Journey and its Relationship to Housing

This framework presents a spectrum of financial stages experienced by families, from Survival to Affluence, outlining how housing and economic stability, accessibility, and quality evolve with each stage – along with examples of the challenges and opportunities faced.

As we work to advance housing and economic equity, we recognize that homeownership may part of that journey but does not need to be. This framework helps identify how housing stability supports continuity in a person’s or family’s life, freeing up mental and financial resources to focus on building wealth, education, and upward mobility.

The purpose of this document is to shift mental models around the relationship between housing stability and wealth building. Our goal is to help concurrent efforts around affordable housing and economic empowerment see how our collective work fits in the larger wealth building journey, so that together we can identify opportunities to fill gaps, align efforts, and address barriers.