
Exploring gentrification and homeownership with CFA's Sharon Cornelissen
From Beyond Four Walls: Conversations on Affordable Housing by National Housing Conference
February 17, 2026 · 57 min · Season 3 · Episode 4
About this episode
David Dworkin interviews Sharon Cornelissen about her book on gentrification and the experiences of Black homeowners.
I n this week's episode, NHC President and CEO David Dworkin sits down with Sharon Cornelissen, Director of Housing at the Consumer Federation of America, and author of Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit Cornelissen joins NHC President and CEO David Dworkin to discuss her new book, which explores what happens when White newcomers move into predominantly Black neighborhoods, challenges assumptions about whether gentrification is inevitable, and focuses on the lived experiences of long-term Black homeowners navigating neighborhood change.
People in this episode
Host: David Dworkin
Guest: Sharon Cornelissen
Topics covered
- gentrification
- homeownership
- Black neighborhoods
- neighborhood change
- long-term homeowners
Keywords
- gentrification
- homeownership
- Detroit
- Black homeowners
- neighborhood change
- CFA
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Consumer Federation of America
Books & works: Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit
More episodes of Beyond Four Walls: Conversations on Affordable Housing
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- Housing affordability challenges and solutions with Habitat's Jonathan Reckford · April 13, 2026 · 45 min
- How CONVERGENCE is expanding homeownership in Central Ohio and nationwide · March 16, 2026 · 51 min
- The state of the rental housing market with Bob Pinnegar, President and CEO, NAA · March 2, 2026 · 42 min
- Ending Homelessness: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Results · February 2, 2026 · 44 min
- From campus to policy: tackling the student housing crisis · January 20, 2026 · 40 min
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