Over a dozen years, LIFT – which stands for Let's Invest for Tomorrow – has helped more than 25,000 people in 81 communities buy homes of their own by providing down payment assistance to
Celebrating LIFT: (From left to right) Angel Lau, Wells Fargo; Kathy Rosado, NeighborWorks Columbus; Shadonna Woodcock, NeighborWorks Columbus; Lee Anne Adams, NeighborWorks America. Photo/David Plihal
"close the gap." NeighborWorks America, joined by leaders and staff from 42 NeighborWorks networkorganizations as well as Wells Fargo, celebrated this accomplishment and more during last week's convening in Tucson, Arizona.
They also reflected on lessons learned that will inform new possibilities for homeowners – especially low-income homeowners and homeowners of color.
Athanase Kabayiza, left, talks about what buying a home meant to him. To his right is Lupita Rodriguez from The Primavera Foundation. Photo/David Plihal
During the convening, participants spoke about LIFT's legacy and impact as they looked to build on it for the future. They also spoke of the legacy of homeownership.
Hearing from a homebuyer helped by LIFT added to the importance of the conversations as he explained how homeownership had changed his life and the life of his family. Athanase Kabayiza bought a house with the help of
The Primavera Foundation and
Trellis in 2014 when he and his family were refugees from Rwanda. A friend introduced him to Primavera, and by participating in their counseling and homebuyer education program, he saved money quickly to purchase a home. He now teaches members in his community how to save and shares that homeownership is possible.
From left to right: Maribel Valdez, Trellis; Lupita Rodriguez, The Primavera Foundation ; Brenda Lopez, Trellis; Gabby Luna, Tejano Center for Community Concerns; and Celia Mendivil, The Primavera Foundation. Photo/David Plihal
"We now know the power of a national program administered through trusted, local organizations to create homeownership opportunities," says Noelle Melton, NeighborWorks' vice president of National Homeownership & Lending. "We realize the need is greater than ever if we want to continue createopportunities for people to access homeownership, which remains one of the best paths to building long-term wealth in the U.S."
Melton points out that housing is a continuum. "But strategies that create new homeowners remain an integral and time-tested way of strengthening communities." NeighborWorks remaining committed to partnering with the network to strengthen those communities, and to finding more strategies that work.
