I’m a fifth-generation Black Richmonder and I grew up in the East End, where family wasn’t just close — they were everything.

My parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles lived within blocks of each other. When I think back, it was a beautiful thing — Black families like mine, generation after generation, building a strong, tight-knit community we could call our own in spite of pervasive forces tearing down our homes and businesses. But over time, we’ve watched that legacy slip away, as rising housing costs and property taxes have pushed out families like the one I grew up in.

What’s happening to Black families in Richmond is a crisis. The homes our parents and grandparents worked their whole lives for are now being sold off to real estate investors for a fraction of what they’re worth. These investors knock on doors, make incessant phone calls, and try to intimidate older Black residents — people who’ve been in their homes for 30, 40, 50 years — and offer them deals that sound good, but in reality, are robbing them of their wealth. And what happens next? They take the deal, thinking it’ll help them, only to find out they can’t afford to buy another home in this city because the prices have gone up too much. This is how we lose our homes, our neighborhoods, our fellowship.

This isn’t just bad luck; it’s the result of a system that has never been built for us to succeed. For generations, Black Richmonders have been shut out of homeownership through redlining and racist lending practices. 

Today, the same forces are pushing us out through skyrocketing home prices and predatory investors. Our elders are being taken advantage of and our young people can’t even imagine buying a home here because the prices are so high. This is the same old story of keeping Black wealth out of Black hands.

But we have the power to change this. Vice President Harris is proposing real housing solutions for our community.

She’s committed to offering first-time homebuyers up to $25,000 in down payment assistance, which could open the door for young Black families to finally own a piece of this city we’ve built. Her plan would also build 3 million new affordable homes — giving us more opportunities to stay in our communities instead of being forced out.

And here in Richmond, we’ve got Andreas Addison, a candidate for mayor who’s proposing real solutions to these issues including a plan to reduce the tax burden for homeowners, and deliver critical repair programs for our elders and families who can’t afford to maintain their homes. That’s real help for Black homeowners who are struggling to keep up with rising costs. His plan would also punish real estate speculators who sit on valuable unused land and encourage development, including housing our people can actually afford.

These are the kinds of policies that will stop the displacement and keep our neighborhoods intact.

But none of this matters if we don’t vote. We’ve seen it time and time again—when we show up at the polls, we can change the future of our communities for the better. This election, our votes are crucial. We have the opportunity to elect leaders who will fight to stop the displacement of Black families, protect our homes, and invest in affordable housing. If we don’t act, the Richmond we know could disappear forever.

Our elders fought, bled and gave their lives so we could have the right to vote, to own homes and to build wealth. They’ve earned the right to stay here. Now, it’s on us to protect that legacy. We can’t afford to sit this one out. Vote for candidates who have real plans to solve the housing crisis and protect our community. Our homes, our families and our future depend on it.

The writer is a former candidate for City Council.