A new study by the Russell Sage Foundation finds that household net worth declined steadily between 2007 and 2013. Households in the lowest income quartile were hardest hit, losing 60% of their wealth. The culprit, advocates say, has been slow mortgage lending to low income and minority borrowers. Twenty-five percent of Americans' wealth comes from the increased value of homes and nearly 50% for people of color. But since 2007, one-quarter of all Latino and African-American borrowers have lost their homes to foreclosure or are seriously delinquent, compared to 12% of white borrowers. Making matters worse, millions of people who lost their homes will have to wait up to seven years to rehabilitate their score just to be eligible to apply for a mortgage.