Castleigh Johnson, Founder and CEO of MyHomePathway, joins the latest episode of Disruption Interruption to address systemic inequities in housing. Johnson spotlights how fintech innovations are rewriting the mortgage lending narrative, making the American Dream attainable for underserved communities.
TAMPA BAY, Fla., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Black homeownership rate in the U.S. remains starkly behind other racial groups, standing at just 45% despite recent gains. (1) In contrast, White Americans have a 72% homeownership rate. This enduring disparity highlights systemic failures in creating equitable wealth-building opportunities through property ownership. Castleigh Johnson, CEO of MyHomePathway, leads a fintech platform offering a disruptive solution to close this gap. On the latest episode of Disruption Interruption, host Karla Jo Helms (KJ) dives into a powerful discussion with Johnson, uncovering how outdated underwriting practices and limited access to capital create barriers for communities of color.
"Homeownership isn't just a societal issue; it's a trillion-dollar opportunity," Johnson explains. "It's time we redesign the system to ensure more Americans have access to this essential pillar of economic stability."
Tackling Systemic Barriers in Financial Services
The historical impact of redlining, Johnson emphasizes, continues to ripple through the economy today. Beginning in the 1930s, this discriminatory practice restricted property ownership in Black communities, limiting their ability to build generational wealth.
"Our systems were designed to keep risk calculations at the forefront," Johnson says, "but they fail to account for the historical inequities these communities endured. Risk models still favor individuals with established wealth, sidelining millions of qualified, capable first-time buyers."
Despite regulations like the Fair Housing Act of 1968—designed to prevent discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, or nationality—progress has remained slow. "We've seen Black homeownership rates stay stagnant at 45% since that time, while White Americans maintain a wide 30-point lead," Johnson reveals.
The economic toll is evident. Homeownership drives local economies by creating jobs, fostering stronger communities, and generating higher property tax revenue. Yet, the restrictive nature of traditional underwriting locks too many families out of this opportunity.
The MyHomePathway Approach to Equity
Johnson's fintech innovation, MyHomePathway, bridges this gap by leveraging data, education, and artificial intelligence to transform high-risk credit profiles into mortgage-ready candidates.
"Imagine being a 'D' student in the eyes of lenders," Johnson explains. "Our platform acts as a tutor, guiding consumers from where they are to where they need to be in order to qualify for a mortgage."
With access to credit reports, income data, and bank information, MyHomePathway provides users with transparent, personalized plans that demystify the mortgage readiness process.
"We're adding clarity to a process that's been opaque and exclusionary for far too long," says Johnson. "By working with both consumers and lenders, we're creating pathways that benefit all stakeholders in the housing ecosystem."
Links
Disrupting Generational Housing Inequality: Castleigh Johnson's Fintech Fix for Mortgage Access
https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-generational-housing-inequality-castleigh-johnson-s-fintech-fix-for-mortgage-access
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/castleigh
Company Website: https://www.myhomepathway.com/
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today's biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.
Disruption Interruption can be listened to in Apple's App Store and Spotify.
About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries— MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more—and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo "KJ" Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits—and not-so-common—that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world's key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at http://www.disruption-interruption.com.
About Castleigh Johnson
Castleigh Johnson is the Founder and CEO of MyHomePathway, a fintech company on a mission to make homeownership more attainable for all—regardless of credit score, student loan debt, or generational wealth. By redesigning the mortgage approval process, Castleigh is tackling systemic inequities in lending and unlocking new pathways to financial health for underserved communities.
With over 15 years of experience at top financial institutions—including Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, AIG, Bank of Montreal, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York—he gained a dual perspective on the private and regulatory sides of banking. It was during this time he realized that a three-digit number—your credit score—too often determines who gets access to the American Dream. And for millions, that system has been anything but fair.
Castleigh launched MyHomePathway in 2020 to change that. Using data, education, and AI-driven insights, the platform helps credit-challenged consumers become mortgage-ready buyers. Backed by a B.A. from Penn State and an MBA from NYU Stern, he is a leading voice in fintech for good—proving that inclusion and innovation can, and should, go hand in hand.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
1. National Association of Realtors (NAR) . "Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America." nar.realtor, 21 Feb. 2025, nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/snapshot-of-race-and-home-buying-in-america.
Media Contact
Karla Jo Helms, JOTO PR™, 727-777-4629, [email protected], jotopr.com
SOURCE Disruption Interruption
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