Economic Inequality Isn't an Accident

When people talk about economic inequality, it often gets framed as something abstract — charts, statistics, or talking heads on the news. But inequality isn’t abstract. It’s personal. It’s the gap between wanting a safe, stable home and being told you don’t earn enough, don’t fit the profile, or don’t check the right boxes.

 

Housing is where economic inequality shows up in the most brutal ways. If you’re wealthy, you have choices — neighborhoods, schools, safety nets. If you’re not, you’re stuck with whatever you can scrape together, and the system acts like that’s your fault.

 

But inequality isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system. It’s zoning codes that ban small, modest homes because they don’t “fit the character” of the neighborhood. It’s lending practices that punish single-income households. It’s wages that haven’t kept up with housing costs in decades.

 

I live this reality. As a single person with a disability, I’ve never been able to buy my own home. Not because I didn’t want to, but because the math has never added up. And I know I’m not alone. Millions of people are stuck in the same place, not because they failed, but because the system was built to favor someone else.

 

At Little Haven, we’re not pretending we can fix economic inequality overnight. But we can challenge the way it plays out in housing. That means:

 

•  Creating real ownership opportunities. Homeownership has always been one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. By keeping our homes modestly priced, we give first-time buyers and working-class households a way to build equity without overextending themselves.

 

•  Designing for the “missing middle.” Too many people earn “too much” to qualify for assistance but far too little to buy what the market calls affordable. That’s who we serve — the households policy forgot.

 

•  Keeping costs stable. Our pocket neighborhoods use durable materials, thoughtful design, and shared infrastructure to lower maintenance and utility costs — giving families breathing room in their monthly budgets.

 

•  Removing barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility is included at no extra cost, because no one should have to choose between a safe home and a financially possible one.

 

Inequality isn’t inevitable. It’s a choice. And if we can choose to build a system that locks people out, we can damn well choose to build one that lets people in.