Over 500,000 U.S. properties are "heirs' property"—land passed down informally without legal paperwork, leaving every descendant with equal ownership stakes. This creates vulnerabilities: predatory developers exploit fractional ownership through partition lawsuits, families struggle to access loans or FEMA benefits, and unanimous agreement is required for any decisions. Black farmers lost 90% of their land in the 20th century due to these issues.

The issue connects to health equity, disaster relief, and wealth building, yet the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the only major national funder currently addressing this problem, investing $3.4 million since 2023.

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