Why Homeownership Is Important in Our Communities

This blog post is in partnership with Bank of America. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can you remember a special place that will forever be home in your heart and soul? I mean no matter where you go in the world or how long you have been away from that place…it is still home. The first home that I ever knew was owned by my great-grandmother. I recently went to visit this special place, and while so much has changed, one thing remains: the memories and influence it plays in my life. I often think about what makes a house a home and it is so much more than the layout, the material used to build it, and even the work to repair what’s not right. Instead, it is about the special times inside it with loved ones, the safe haven it provides from the craziness of the world, and the beauty in every imperfection that makes it your home. This is the power of homeownership within our communities.

My great-grandmother’s action of buying her home in the 1960s was an inspiration to me as a child. I can remember her sharing why she wanted to own a home: to be able to create this special place for her family and one day pass it down to her children. Whether they’d keep it in the family or sell it to make a profit later down the line, she was thinking about her family and the impact homeownership would have long-term. This kind of love and legacy is what drove me to work hard, buy my first home, and follow in her footsteps as only the second person in my family to own a home since my great-grandmother. I can remember making a commitment to my great-grandmother that I would one day own my home like her and raise my family in it. While my great-grandmother is still living, she is much older now and unable to live in her home that she worked so hard to pay off in her hay day. But thankfully, we still own the home. Like my commitment that I made to my great-grandmother, Bank of America’s Community Homeownership Commitment® is bringing together the products and resources that can help modest-income borrowers buy homes of their own. This is exciting news for aspiring homeowners! By combining down payment assistance and closing cost help with a low down payment mortgage solution, you may find that a new home is within reach.

While I didn’t grow up in Detroit, it is interesting that I now get to raise my family in this beautiful city. And what makes Detroit a beautiful place to live, work, and play is directly connected to homeownership. Here in Detroit, it is no secret that the majority of the demographic is Black, which is why it’s so important for me and this community to champion Black homeownership as much more than just owning a home. It is laying a foundation to build generational wealth and financial security for your family. It is contributing to a community so that our neighborhoods can grow stronger as a whole. Getting your foot into the door of your first home provides a path toward achieving your goals and leaving a legacy for future generations. This is why I’m so excited to partner with Bank of America to share its Community Homeownership Commitment which is helping so many get into a home of their own with grants that can help with closing costs and down payments, low down payment mortgage solutions, and educational resources to help make sense of the homebuying journey.