Thanks to the Crossville Housing Authority and many community partners throughout Cumberland County, Tennessee, Robbie Neal and her husband, Tommie, now can call themselves "homeowners."

Robbie is able to wash dishes in her new accessible home because the sink is lower.

Don Alexander, CHA executive director joins Tommie and Robbie as they enjoy their spacious new front porch.

In June, the CHA and its partners hosted an "American Dream Homeownership Reception," at which 15 individuals and families were recognized because they had become homeowners through HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program (formerly the Section 8 Homeownership Program), USDA's Rural Housing Service or other homeownership initiatives. About 75 people attended the event, including representatives from 20 agencies who signed the "Blue Print for the American Dream," a public-private partnership to increase minority homeownership by 5.5 million by 2010.

Robbie, who has a handicap and uses a wheelchair, was one of the 15 people recognized.

The events that led to Robbie attending the June event began months earlier when, listening to the radio, she heard about a new homeownership program using housing vouchers. As she listened, Robbie became determined to own a home, undaunted the fact that at the time she had only disability income and her husband had none.

Following-up on what she had heard, Robbie and Tommie attended first-time homebuyers classes where they learned about the many aspects of homebuying and homeownership. They also learned the "ins and outs" of the voucher program and USDA's housing program for very-low income families.

The Neals applied for a loan and, once approved, she and Tommie soon found and settled on an accessible home that met their housing needs.

Representatives from many public and private agencies signed the "Blue Print for the American Dream," a public-private partnership to increase minority homeownership by 5.5 million by 2010. Shown from left to right are Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham III; CHA Chairman Bob Mitchell; Creative Compassion Director Mike Smathers; Cumberland County Bank President Bill Startup; USBank Community Development Director Cynthia DuRant; Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity Director Melinda Wiegle; Rural Development State Director Ruth Tackett; First National Bank of the Cumberlands President Randy Graham; Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Beth Alexander; Housing Development Corp. Director Stephen Murray; Highland Federal Savings & Loan President Jack Chadwell; CHA Director Don Alexander; Progressive Savings Bank Community President Tom Bristow; HUD Knoxville Director Mark Brezina; and Brenda Cleaver, HUD Atlanta Regional Office.