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Journey Home NC Realty Group tracks and reports the following key impact metrics that reflect the organization's reach, effectiveness, and commitment to equitable homeownership outcomes in North Carolina: • 85%+ of clients served annually are from households at or below 80% AMI, reflecting deep commitment to LMI community access • Approximately 70% of homeownership counseling clients identify as racial or ethnic minorities, directly addressing the racial homeownership gap in North Carolina • An estimated 60% of clients are first-generation homebuyers with no prior family history of homeownership • Journey Home clients are connected to an average of $10,000–$25,000 in down payment assistance and closing cost support per household through state, local, and federal programs • Over 40% of clients served reside in MMCT or LMICT census tracts, aligning with CDFI and CRA priority investment areas • Single-parent households and veterans together represent approximately 25% of the annual client caseload, reflecting targeted outreach to vulnerable populations • Financial education workshop participants report an average credit score improvement of 40–60 points within 6 months of program completion • Rural and underserved county residents account for an estimated 30% of the client base, extending homeownership opportunity beyond urban centers

Journey Home NC Realty Group LLC is dedicated to helping individuals and families — particularly those from low-to-moderate income households, minority communities, and first-generation buyers — find their way home, build lasting financial stability, and create generational wealth through real estate. Through a comprehensive suite of services including homeownership counseling, down payment assistance navigation, financial education, and transition support, Journey Home transforms overwhelming housing decisions into clear, achievable next steps. Guided by faith, compassion, and integrity, the organization meets clients where they are and empowers them to move toward what is possible.

Dear [Program Officer's Name], On behalf of Journey Home NC Realty Group LLC, I am pleased to submit this letter of inquiry in response to [Funder Name]'s commitment to expanding affordable housing access and building financial resilience in underserved communities across North Carolina. Journey Home is a community-rooted real estate and counseling organization serving low-to-moderate income households, minority homebuyers, first-generation buyers, veterans, seniors, and rural families — populations for whom the barriers to homeownership remain significant and the need for trusted, expert guidance has never been greater. With a proven model that integrates homeownership counseling, down payment assistance navigation, and financial education, Journey Home is uniquely positioned to deploy [Funder Name]'s investment toward measurable, community-transforming outcomes. We respectfully request [grant amount] to [expand/launch/sustain] our [specific program name] and deepen our impact in [target county/region/census tract area] where the need for equitable homeownership pathways is most acute.

Journey Home NC Realty Group LLC is a North Carolina-based real estate and community development organization serving low-to-moderate income households, minority homebuyers, first-generation buyers, seniors, veterans, single-parent households, immigrants, and rural community residents across the state. Operating with an annual budget of approximately $150,000, Journey Home delivers an integrated model of real estate services, homeownership counseling, financial education, and down payment assistance guidance designed to remove barriers that have historically excluded underserved populations from the wealth-building benefits of homeownership. The organization specializes in serving households at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), with particular emphasis on Minority- and Majority-Minority Census Tracts (MMCT) and Low-to-Moderate Income Census Tracts (LMICT) that are priorities under CDFI and CRA compliance frameworks. Journey Home's client-centered approach — grounded in the principle of acting as a trusted GPS guiding clients home — ensures that each individual or family receives personalized, step-by-step support from financial readiness assessment through successful closing and beyond. By bridging the gap between aspiration and action, Journey Home is building a stronger, more equitable North Carolina, one family at a time.

Journey Home NC Realty Group LLC is a North Carolina real estate and community development organization committed to expanding equitable homeownership opportunities for low-to-moderate income households, minority families, first-generation buyers, veterans, seniors, and other underserved populations statewide. Through personalized homeownership counseling, down payment assistance navigation, and financial education, Journey Home empowers clients to transform the dream of homeownership into a lasting reality and a foundation for generational wealth. Guided by the principle that every family deserves a trusted guide on their journey home, the organization delivers compassionate, integrity-driven services that meet clients where they are and move them toward what is possible.

Journey Home NC Realty Group's core programming is built around a holistic homeownership pathway model that meets clients at every stage of their housing journey — from renter to owner, from financial instability to legacy-building. The organization provides one-on-one homeownership counseling that helps clients assess their current financial health, understand credit requirements, and develop personalized roadmaps to mortgage readiness. Journey Home actively connects clients to available down payment assistance programs, grant resources, and affordable mortgage products, reducing the single greatest barrier facing first-generation and low-income buyers in North Carolina's competitive housing market. For seniors and aging-in-place populations, the organization offers specialized guidance around housing transitions, reverse mortgage awareness, and long-term financial planning to ensure stability in later years. Veterans, single-parent households, immigrants, and rural community residents receive targeted outreach and culturally responsive services that acknowledge the unique challenges each population faces in accessing safe, affordable homeownership. Journey Home also delivers community-based financial education workshops designed to strengthen participants' long-term financial literacy, credit management skills, and understanding of real estate as a generational wealth tool. By combining real estate expertise with deep community trust and faith-driven values, Journey Home ensures that no client faces the complexity of homeownership alone.

HCA builds free and low-cost digital tools using AI ethically that help potential homebuyers understand and navigate the path to homeownership on their own terms. Our National Advisory Council is developing new resources that make it easier for consumers to identify affordable lending options and to close the trust gap that too often separates underserved homebuyers from the lenders who could serve them well. The centerpiece of this work is ReadyOwn, an app that helps prospective buyers find down payment assistance programs they qualify for and walks them through the steps to prepare for a successful purchase. By meeting homebuyers where they are, on their phones, at their own pace. HCA is scaling access to guidance that has traditionally required in-person counseling capacity we cannot fully staff to meet demand.

# Impact Data: Core Metrics **Applicant:** Homeownership Council of America (HCA) **Program:** National Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Platform **Focus Areas:** Underserved Borrowers, CRA Compliance, Wealth Building, Tech-Enabled Access --- ## Executive Summary: Bridging the Racial and Economic Wealth Gap The greatest barrier to sustainable homeownership for low- and moderate-income (LMI) and minority households is not monthly payment sustainability—it is the upfront capital required for a down payment and closing costs. [Homeownership Council of America](https://homeownershipcouncil.org/) (HCA), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bridges this divide through its **National DPA Platform**. By aligning Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)-eligible investments, philanthropic capital, and mission-aligned community lenders, HCA transforms mortgage lending into an engine for intergenerational wealth. Our data-driven approach pairs capital deployment with ecosystem capacity building via **CLIMB** (Community Lending Initiatives in Mortgage Banking) and transparent consumer access through the **ReadyOwn** technology platform. --- ## Core Impact Performance Metrics The National DPA Platform demonstrates targeted impact across key equity benchmarks: | Core Metric | Performance / Scale | Strategic Significance | |:---|:---:|:---| | **Minority Borrowers Served** | **89%** | Direct intervention in closing the persistent racial homeownership gap | | **Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI)** | **64%** | Direct capital delivery to households at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) | | **Homeowners Created** | **258** | Sustainable first-time and first-generation home acquisitions completed to date | | **Wealth Generation Multiplier** | **5X** | Immediate equity and long-term asset accumulation created per DPA dollar invested | | **CRA Alignment** | **100% Eligible** | Meets critical regulatory, lending, and investment test requirements for financial institutions | --- ## Demographic and Geographic Target Populations HCA concentrates its capital and interventions where conventional lending systems consistently underserve: * **Majority-Minority Census Tracts (MMCT):** Overcoming systemic under-lending by deploying credit and capital directly into historically redlined and racially diverse communities. * **LMI Census Tracts (LMICT):** Revitalizing lower-income neighborhoods by enabling resident-led equity building and neighborhood stabilization. * **First-Generation Homebuyers:** Targeting households without access to familial generational wealth or intergenerational down payment transfers. * **BIPOC Households up to 150% AMI:** Utilizing innovatively structured products and Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs) to support creditworthy middle-class households who are locked out of conventional homeownership due to rapid asset price inflation ([NCRC Member Profile: Homeownership Council of America](https://ncrc.org/ncrc-member-profile-homeownership-council-of-america)). --- ## Capital Deployment: DPA Product Suite HCA's National DPA Platform deploys tailored liquidity structures designed to overcome varied affordability thresholds across diverse housing markets: * **Equity Share (up to $100,000):** Substantial shared-equity funding designed for high-cost markets, significantly lowering monthly loan-to-value (LTV) burdens while preserving long-term affordability. * **Equity Builder ($50,000):** Deep-subsidy down payment structure for first-generation and LMI borrowers facing severe affordability gaps. * **Equity Access ($10,000 Forgivable):** Forgivable assistance targeted at reducing principal barriers for low-income households. * **Equity DPA ($10,000 Deferred):** Flexible deferred-payment second mortgage structure allowing immediate entry into sustainable homeownership without adding to monthly debt obligations ([NCRC Member Profile: Homeownership Council of America](https://ncrc.org/ncrc-member-profile-homeownership-council-of-america)). * **Equity Closing Grant ($5,000):** Direct grant support to neutralize upfront out-of-pocket settlement and closing fees. --- ## Nationwide Ecosystem Scale: Technology & Capacity Building HCA complements direct DPA capital deployment with end-to-end industry infrastructure: ``` ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Homeownership Council of America │ └──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘ │ ┌─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐ ▼ ▼ ▼ [ CAPITAL ] [ TECHNOLOGY ] [ CAPACITY ] National DPA Platform ReadyOwn App CLIMB Initiative • CRA-Eligible Capital • 3,738+ DPA Programs • Technical Assistance • 5 DPA Product Lines • 953 Grants in 50 States • CDFI / MDI Scale • 96% Minority / 64% LMI • Consumer Matching Engine • SPCP Product Design ``` ### 1. ReadyOwn (`readyown.app`) – Democratizing Access to Assistance To ensure borrowers access all available resources, HCA built and maintains **ReadyOwn**, a free national clearinghouse connecting consumers and loan officers to down payment resources: * **3,738+** active DPA programs cataloged across all 50 states. * **953** dedicated homebuyer grant programs indexed. * Direct digital pipeline routing underserved consumers into vetted, sustainable home purchase programs. ### 2. CLIMB (Community Lending Initiatives in Mortgage Banking) Capital requires robust deployment channels. Through CLIMB, HCA delivers specialized technical assistance and capacity building to community lenders, non-profit mortgage organizations, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): * Expands institutional mortgage-banking infrastructure and secondary market access ([NCRC Member Profile: Homeownership Council of America](https://ncrc.org/ncrc-member-profile-homeownership-council-of-america)). * Guides the design, compliance, and rollout of targeted **Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs)** ([NCRC Member Profile: Homeownership Council of America](https://ncrc.org/ncrc-member-profile-homeownership-council-of-america)). * Ensures local lending partners have the operational capacity to underwrite, originate, and manage complex equity and DPA products at scale. --- ## Grant Investment Alignment & Community Return Investing in HCA's National DPA Platform delivers compounded community impact: * **Quantifiable ROI:** Every grant and equity dollar committed unlocks sustainable home purchases that yield an average **5X catalytic wealth multiplier** for minority and LMI families. * **Systemic Leverage:** Support enhances both sides of the market—equipping community lenders with capacity via CLIMB, giving consumers transparent access via ReadyOwn, and closing the financing gap directly through flexible, CRA-eligible DPA capital.

HCA builds free and low-cost digital tools that help potential homebuyers understand and navigate the path to homeownership on their own terms. Our National Advisory Council is developing new resources that make it easier for consumers to identify affordable lending options and to close the trust gap that too often separates underserved homebuyers from the lenders who could serve them well. The centerpiece of this work is ReadyOwn, an app that helps prospective buyers find down payment assistance programs they qualify for and walks them through the steps to prepare for a successful purchase. By meeting homebuyers where they are, on their phones, at their own pace. HCA is scaling access to guidance that has traditionally required in-person counseling capacity we cannot fully staff to meet demand.

Homeownership Council of America (HCA) was founded in 2007 as HousingOpportunities Collaborative, established in direct response to the growing foreclosure crisis and the urgent need for trusted, unbiased housing counseling and consumer protection. In 2012, the organization became a HUD-approved Intermediary, expanding its capacity to support housing counseling agencies nationwide. Building on that infrastructure, in 2013 it launched its Virtual Counselor Network, extending access to housing counseling services beyond the limits of geography and in-person staffing. By 2018, the affordable housing landscape had shifted substantially, and the compliance burden tied to HUD Intermediary status had grown. The Board of Directors made the strategic decision to discontinue that status in order to refocus the organization's mission on closing the lending gap for underserved communities. That same year, the organization welcomed new CEO leadership and completed a strategic planning process, culminating in a rebrand to Homeownership Council of America (HCA), a name reflecting its sharpened focus on sustainable homeownership access. In 2019, HCA launched Community Lending Initiatives in Mortgage Banking(CLIMB), a technical assistance program serving nonprofit and for-profit lenders working to expand responsible lending in underserved markets. This work deepened in 2022, when HCA built a Special Purpose Credit Program (SPCP)toolkit in partnership with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), equipping lenders with practical tools to design and implement SPCPs that expand credit access for historically underserved borrowers. In 2023, HCA launched its National Down Payment Assistance Program, addressing one of the most persistent barriers to homeownership: the upfront cost of purchase. Today, HCA is growing the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to close the homeownership gap. Its National Advisory Council is building new tools to help consumers identify affordable lending options and to bridge the trust gap between underserved homebuyers and lenders. This work culminates in 2026 with the launch of the ReadyOwn app, designed to help prospective homebuyers find down payment assistance and prepare for successful, sustainable homeownership. From its founding during the depths of the foreclosure crisis to its current work building consumer-facing technology, HCA's history reflects a consistent throughline: continually adapting its programs and structure to meet the real,evolving needs of underserved homebuyers and the lenders who serve them.

Homeownership Council of America is advancing a wealthier future for all Americans through innovative programs, partnerships, and products that make homeownership more attainable.

Through our National Down Payment Assistance Program, HCA provides funding directly to low- and moderate-income (LMI) homebuyers to help them overcome one of the most persistent obstacles to homeownership: coming up with the down payment and cash to close. For many LMI households, insufficient savings, not creditworthiness or income, is what stands between them and a mortgage. By putting resources directly into the hands of qualified buyers, this program closes that gap and converts renters who are otherwise ready for homeownership into successful, sustainable homeowners.

150,000 homebuyers lose out annually due to cash-to-close gaps. 80% of these are low-income or minority households. HCA's programs specifically target: • Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) homebuyers at ≤80% AMI (core) and up to 140% AMI (expanded) • Families in Majority-Minority Census Tracts (MMCT) • Families in Low-to-Moderate Income Census Tracts (LMICT) • First-generation homebuyers with no family history of homeownership • 90%+ minority reach with programs to date

Homeownership Council of America is the only national nonprofit dedicated to expanding homeownership infrastructure across America. HCA provides essential infrastructure and specialized technical assistance to improve outcomes for America's homebuyers. Our team brings deep subject matter expertise in mortgage lending, compliance, and affordable housing, with over 100+ years of combined experience and a history of working with over 65 lenders nationwide. HCA's programs include the National DPA Platform (CRA-eligible investment platform), ReadyOwn consumer web app, CLIMB Technical Assistance for lenders, and CDFI & Nonprofit Lender Services.

Homeownership Council of America (HCA) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing a wealthier future for all Americans through innovative programs, partnerships, and technology that make homeownership more attainable and affordable for underserved communities. We develop and expand homeownership through well-designed mortgage products, programs, and delivery systems staffed by deeply experienced mortgage and nonprofit lending professionals.

ReadyOwn Platform Coverage: • 3,738+ Down Payment Assistance Programs • 50 States Covered • 953 Grant Programs (non-repayable assistance) • Multiple assistance types: Grants, Forgivable Loans, Deferred Loans, Repayable Loans, Matched Savings • Free to use — no sign-up required • Connected to approved lender network for each program

ReadyOwn (readyown.app) is HCA's free consumer web application that provides the most comprehensive search tool for verified and updated down payment assistance programs nationwide. With 3,738+ DPA programs across all 50 states—including 953 grant programs—ReadyOwn connects homebuyers with assistance programs and approved lenders. The platform features location-based search, program comparison tools, a mortgage readiness checklist, and connections to HUD-approved housing counselors. No sign-up is required, making it freely accessible to all Americans seeking homeownership support.

HCA's National DPA Platform is a scalable, CRA-eligible investment platform delivering measurable community impact and mortgage volume growth through down payment assistance for underserved homebuyers. The platform offers five distinct DPA products: Equity Share (up to $100,000 shared appreciation), Equity Access ($10,000 forgivable after 5 years), Equity DPA ($10,000 deferred at 0%), Equity Builder (up to $50,000 affordable second), and Equity Closing Grant (up to $5,000 non-repayable). All products are CRA-eligible and designed to serve LMI homebuyers, families in majority-minority census tracts (MMCT) and low-to-moderate income census tracts (LMICT), and first-generation homebuyers.

Personnel: 62% | Loan capital: 24% | Program services & coaching: 8% | Administration & overhead: 4% | Fundraising: 2%. Total annual operating budget: $4.2M. Multi-year grants support scaling of loan capital and coaching capacity.