Over the past two decades, the heirs鈥� property field has evolved significantly, moving 鈥渇rom the shadows to the light鈥� as researchers, advocates, and policymakers have worked to better understand the problem and help fill its long-standing 鈥渆mpirical vacuum.鈥� In a recently published article, Professor Thomas Mitchell, who also serves as the Initiative on Land, Housing & Property Rights鈥� Director, documents how increased research across a number of disciplines has helped bring national attention to heirs鈥� property.
A major turning point in this work was the creation of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) in 2010, of which Mitchell served as the principal drafter. Developed through the Uniform Law Commission to address longstanding inequities in partition law, the UPHPA provides important protections for heirs鈥� property owners.
Today, the UPHPA has been adopted in many states and has become a cornerstone policy reform aimed at preventing involuntary land loss and preserving generational wealth for families who own heirs鈥� property, particularly Black and brown families.
Building on this progress, Mitchell recently delivered the keynote at an event hosted by the Urban Institute examining the impact of the UPHPA. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss how the law is shaping outcomes for families across the country and what additional strategies are needed to protect heirs鈥� property owners.
As the field continues to grow, Thomas Mitchell鈥檚 scholarship and leadership remain central to advancing reforms that help families retain their land and build intergenerational wealth. Once known as 鈥渢he worst problem you鈥檝e never heard of,鈥� heirs鈥� property is now firmly part of the national policy conversation.
Read more in Director Thomas Mitchell鈥檚 article: 鈥溾�澛�
Event archive video: 鈥溾��
This event was organized by Michael Neal in his role at the Urban Institute. We share it here because of its relevance to our mission.