Home Ownership Dream Comes True
During National Homeownership Month

National Homeownership Month offers an excellent opportunity for housing agencies, city government and financial institutions who have a common mission to share in a public way success stories about their efforts to assist in making a difference in neighborhoods, communities and in the lives of prospective homeowners.

Family Housing Advisory Services, Inc. (FHAS) wants to add another voice to this years celebration by featuring a success story in the words of it's newest first-time homeowner, Ms. Juanita Johnson:

"�this is truly a dream come true for me. The most important thing I want to say about this whole venture is; there are a number of dedicated people in various agencies who are willing to pull together and work very hard to ensure that you accomplish your goal. They have the means and the knowledge to help you. The key is to make the first step, get connected."

Donna McFadden, Director of Education at FHAS was happy to hear Juanitas' story and she hopes that it will inspire other dreamers to seek information that may help them achieve their goal of homeownership. FHAS, a HUD approved Housing Counseling Agency, has offered monthly homebuyer education classes since 1996. The three-session course is 12 hours in length and is designed to educate the prospective homebuyer on the home buying process. After completion of the course, one-on-one counseling is available to assist in financial management, affordability and mortgage action plans.

During the 2001 calendar year 141 individuals became first-time homeowners. One hundred eleven of these homeowners were from Omaha, and thirty were from Council Bluffs, Iowa. These efforts to expand housing choices and opportunities had outstanding results:

• 42.3% of the loans closed through our homebuyer education program went to African Americans
• 7% went to other minority
• 88.2% of loans closed were purchasers who made below the median income
• 55% were to female heads of household
• 55% of home sales were in or surrounding the enterprise zones.

Collaboration with non-profit developers, the City of Omaha and various other financial institutions has made the dream of homeownership a reality for many individuals and families, just like Juanita Johnson.