Rebuilding Communities also aspires to provide low income families with the option to own a home within the communities of the City of Milwaukee. Our administrators have developed strong community partnerships that provide a comprehensive support network to guide participants along the path to home ownership. Our organization is seeking the funding required to purchase homes within the City of Milwaukee, remodel each unit to meet the city’s code, and create home ownership opportunities for the underserved demographics. We firmly believe that sustainable home ownership begins with educating individuals who have the capacity to choose purchasing a place of residency instead of renting.
Rebuilding Communities home ownership program provides a significant impact on the quality of life to individuals in our community by offering the following services:
• Pre and post Financial Counseling to assist with the home buying process
• Referrals to lenders and First time home buying programs
• Free or reduced closing cost
• Rent to Own on a Land Contract
Stressing home ownership is an important and critical goal for Rebuilding Communities, as realizing this goal has always been part of the American Dream. Our nation’s leaders have already done so much to help Americans make this dream a reality, from President Roosevelt’s Homeowners Loan Act of 1933 to the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008. Most recently, an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers was implemented and the $6,500 tax credit for repeat homebuyers was passed by President Obama’s economic stimulus bill. The question we seek to answer at Rebuilding Communities is “How can we help our clients realize their American Dream of homeownership?” The pre and post- purchase counseling sessions that we conduct and offer our clients are meant to provide assistance in helping them address and uncover the unique financial circumstances that surround their housing-related needs.
We realize that the more effective we can be with our clients, the greater chance of success they will have in satisfactorily resolving their present housing needs. Once our clients have completed our pre-purchase counseling, they will understand what they can afford, and should be fully aware of what the home buying process entails. We understand that every family is unique and is at a different stage in the home buying process. Once we determine where in the process the client is, we can provide advice, guidance, and support that is relevant to his/her needs. Some individuals may be within reach of purchasing, and some will need to first be educated on how to clear derogatory items off of their credit report and address any problems with their creditors.