Creating 219 New Homeowners

Creating 219 New Homeowners

Posted on August 25, 2016

Michelle Monroe is celebrating her three month anniversary as a homeowner with the help of Self-Help Enterprises and the Wells Fargo HomeLIFT^(sm) program. The mother of three began her journey to homeownership after becoming a single mother and growing tired of renting. The primary barrier to home ownership was that Michelle did not have enough for a down payment to purchase a home in a neighborhood where she wanted her family to live. It wasn’t until her lender reached out with an opportunity to pursue a HomeLIFT grant of $15,000 to help with down payment costs that homeownership became a reality. Michelle, who works as an emergency medical technician, secured a HomeLIFT grant. Today, she and her family have a place to call home.

“I didn’t think it was possible to become a homeowner with a single income”, said Michelle. “Receiving the HomeLIFT grant helped me buy a home in a neighborhood with a good school system. I take pride in my neighborhood and I’m proud that I accomplished my goal of providing security for my kids.”

“Wells Fargo’s funding of the HomeLIFT^(sm) program and its work in collaboration with Self-Help Enterprises speaks to the passion our bank has for investing in and being part of programs that help communities succeed,” said Alice Juarez, Wells Fargo’s Bakersfield area president. “While no single program will ever reverse the effects of the country’s foreclosure crisis, we’re proud to continue doing our part to support the recovery by helping promising homebuyers achieve ownership success in a sustainable and responsible way.”

Michelle is one of 219 new homeowners in the City of Bakersfield that benefited from the $15,000 down payment assistance grant through the HomeLIFT program administered locally by Self-Help Enterprises.

“This partnership has made a real difference for Bakersfield families by making homeownership more accessible while building strong neighborhoods,” said Tom Collishaw, CEO of Self-Help Enterprises. “Combined with grants, the homebuyer education component of the program is key to helping these individuals be successful and sustainable homeowners over time.”

While the HomeLIFT program may no longer be available, Self-Help Enterprises continues to offer down payment resources to first-time homebuyers.

The HomeLIFT program is a collaboration between Wells Fargo, NeighborWorks America^® and local non-profit organizations like Self-Help Enterprises. The HomeLIFT program is designed to provide sustainable homeownership initiatives in cities affected by the housing crisis.

“We are proud of the success we’ve seen across the country with this collaboration, said Gary Wolfe,” regional vice president, Western Region, for NeighborWorks America. “The down payment assistance from Wells Fargo combined with NeighborWorks homebuyer education, provide a solid foundation for sustainable homeownership.”

Since 1965, Self-Help Enterprises has been a trusted resource for homeownership services, including counseling for home buying and financing, home repair, self-help housing, and home preservation. To date, Self-Help Enterprises’ work has resulted in 1,985 first-time homebuyers, served 9,399 participants through online and classroom homeownership education, developed 6,163 self-help homes, and rehabilitated 6,343 homes in the San Joaquin Valley. Self-Help Enterprises is a HUD-approved housing counseling organization and top-rated chartered member of NeighborWorks® America, a national organization that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. NeighborWorks America supports a network of more than 240 nonprofits, located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.