Whittier Neighborhood Homebuyers Receive Cash

Elisama Peralta (left) receives a $250 check from Jill Funke of the Housing Resource Center

Elisama Peralta (center) with the Whittier Neighborhood Initiative Committee

Recently, the Peralta family became the first homebuyers in the Whittier Neighborhood of Sioux Falls to receive a $250 check to help with closing costs on their new home. The Whittier Neighborhood Initiative committee is providing cash incentives to potential homebuyers that locate in the Whittier school district. To qualify for the incentive, homebuyers must attend a comprehensive six-hour free Home Buyer Express seminar offered by Lutheran Social Services. Upon completion of the class, they receive a certificate good for $250 toward closing costs on the purchase of a home in the Whittier Neighborhood.

Mrs. Peralta attended homeownership education classes at Lutheran Social Services and after class she translated the information to her husband who speaks minimal English. Mrs. Peralta encourages others to attend a free seminar that will help them purchase a home. "Everyone should take this class; it taught me so much about buying a home. So many people could be helped by this." Now, the Peraltas and their four children have a perfect home in the Whittier Neighborhood. "I would like to thank everyone who helped my family make this dream come true," said Peralta. "My children are so exited, and my husband and I look forward to raising our four children in our very own home."

The Whittier Neighborhood Initiative is a revitalization partnership designed to help families in the Whittier Middle School district build a better, safer neighborhood for their children. Created in January 2003, major partners include Fannie Mae, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Lutheran Social Services, Whittier Middle School, the City of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls Housing and Redevelopment Commission, Sioux Falls Multi-Housing Association, and HUD, as well as local businesses and neighborhood residents. Funds for the closing costs incentives were raised through private donations from local businesses throughout the Sioux Falls area.

• Visit the Whittier Neighborhood Initiative's Neighborhood Toolbox (http://www.neighborhoodtoolbox.com)
• Visit Lutheran Social Services Resource Center (http://www.lsssd.org/services/hrchomebuyerexpress.shtml) - Home Buyer Express for seminar schedules