A new analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data by the Urban Institute shows that the current tight credit environment has disproportionately affected African American and Hispanic households. African American and Hispanic borrowers took out a greater share of mortgages as housing prices neared their peak, the worst time to take out a loan. Then, as prices began to drop, tightened credit standards left many unable to obtain or refinance a loan. From 2005 to 2012, the share of loans made to African American and Hispanic households dropped from 23 percent to 12 percent, locking many borrowers out of homeownership and creating an obstacle to building wealth.