This summer, as one of the FIFA World Cup host cities, Atlanta is welcoming thousands of visitors who are getting a genuine slice of America: diverse, vibrant, and full of possibility. And as we close out National Homeownership Month, perhaps no ideal captures that possibility more fully than homeownership – the idea that anyone, regardless of where they come from or what they look like, can put down roots and belong. 

At  Self-Help Credit Union, we have spent more than four decades working to ensure that the dream of homeownership is accessible to all. In the 1990s, we fought predatory mortgage lending practices that disproportionately targeted Black single mothers in North Carolina, before advocating nationally about the dangers of unsustainable mortgage practices in the years leading up to the foreclosure crisis.   

Today, responsible mortgage lending remains at the heart of our work. Last year, Self-Help financed 461 affordable home loans across our markets, helping individuals like Veronica, a first-generation homebuyer in Atlanta. Through our Equity Boost mortgage program – which requires as little as a 1% borrower contribution, accepts credit scores as low as 580, and provides up to $4,000 in emergency savings funds – Veronica and her son moved into a new home with an affordable mortgage, along with $20,000 in down payment assistance through Atlanta Housing.  

Stories like Veronica’s are testament to the success of programs like Equity Boost, but there’s still more to do. Research conducted by Self-Help’s research and advocacy affiliate, the Center for Responsible Lending, found in its report “Ambition Without Access” that nearly half of Gen Z respondents believe homeownership is unattainable. Among millennials who aspire to own a home, only 23% of Black millennials have achieved that goal, compared to 51% of white millennials. 

At Self-Help, we know that homeownership is one of the most powerful ways to build wealth and long-term financial well-being. Every dollar deposited at Self-Help is put to work in the community supporting homeowners, businesses, schools, community facilities and nonprofits.  

This summer, as we welcome visitors from around the globe, we are reminded of the value of home, and that stable communities are built when families and individuals can achieve the security and wealth-building potential of homeownership. With the world watching, there is no better time to recommit ourselves to making the dream of homeownership accessible to all. 

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