About HomeownershipSF

A citywide collaboration of experienced, nonprofit homeownership service providers, HomeownershipSF serves as a centralized resource for affordable homeownership opportunities and foreclosure intervention education/counseling in San Francisco.

HomeownershipSF makes the home buying process easier for first-time homebuyers by combining information on special assistance programs, workshops, one-on-one counseling and affordable homes and loans on its website - in one convenient online location. With easy access to this high-quality information, HomeownershipSF helps diverse and underserved households buy affordable homes in San Francisco.

HomeownershipSF, in partnership with its HUD approved member agencies and other community partners, coordinates and facilitates workshops for distressed homeowners in San Francisco with panels of professionals that offer guidance in avoiding foreclosure. Additionally, it provides free counseling services through its member agencies and educational materials/links to local and national resources on its website. These services are provided to help homeowners know their options and take action, while stressing the importance of avoiding potential scam artists.

Mission

HomeownershipSF helps diverse and underserved households achieve and sustain homeownership in San Francisco through a coordinated network of member organizations.

Members

HomeownershipSF was founded in 2009 and is currently comprised of five local nonprofit housing organizations:

All of its member agencies specialize in homeownership services and are approved by the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) to provide the homebuyer education class and one-on-one counseling session required in order to benefit from all of MOH's first-time homebuyer programs.

Accomplishments

HomeownershipSF Progress Report: FY 2010-2011

Last year, the coordinated network of HomeownershipSF (HSF) made the dream of owning a home in San Francisco a reality for 279 low-to-moderate income (LMI) families, up 26.8% over the prior year even amidst ongoing economic uncertainty. In one of the country’s highest cost housing markets and in just two years HSF has grown into a unique and sought-after intermediary working to facilitate progress among all constituencies involved in SF’s affordable homeownership challenge.

Affordable homeownership means more than a place to live. It means security and stability. For children it often means better academic outcomes and even improved physical and mental health. For many low-to-moderate income families, it means being able to stay in San Francisco instead of having to move to the suburbs to find affordable housing. For the City, it means sustained socio-economic diversity and, importantly, being able to keep vital members of the City’s workforce within San Francisco – firefighters, police, teachers, social workers, service providers and many others. For all these reasons and more, HomeownershipSF has persevered in its mission of creating a network level collaboration among SF’s homeownership counseling agencies in order to promote the attainment and sustainment of affordable homeownership for LMI San Franciscans. This year HSF also expanded its efforts to support its member agencies in foreclosure intervention activities as well.

What HomeownershipSF accomplished this past year:

279 new first-time homebuyers in San Francisco, with an average income of $78,640
3,981 LMI families attended homebuyer education workshops and/or received one-on-one counseling
Over 16,000 visits to its website, homeownershipsf.org, which guides buyers through the purchase process and features calendars of free workshops, affordable home listings and information about first-time homebuyer assistance programs
In partnership with NeighborWorks America, HomeownershipSF provided 9 scholarships for counselors of member agencies to attend educational courses required to become certified in Housing Counseling and Default-Foreclosure Intervention Counseling
Increased capacity for our member agencies so counselors have a better understanding of the eligibility criteria and varied guidelines of the many affordable home ownership options in SF, including MOH and SFRA Below-Market-Rate (BMR) programs and down payment assistance programs. Additionally counselors learned how to most efficiently screen clients and assess which program is best for them based on each family's circumstances and goals. By doing so, counselors can guide clients to make informed, educated decisions on attaining responsible and sustainable homeownership
Launched a series of bus tours, combined with homeownership educational workshops for prospective homebuyers to visit new affordable homeownership communities and help move them one step closer to making the dream a reality
Organized and convened quarterly Advocacy and Policy Meetings, promoting collaborative efforts among SF’s affordable homeownership advocates and stakeholders
Facilitated the development of the curriculum and marketing materials for a BMR stand-alone workshop

What’s Ahead for HomeownershipSF:

With state and federal budget cuts, San Francisco’s affordable homeownership landscape has changed dramatically from when HSF was created to help member agencies place LMI families into the then-anticipated increased affordable units expected to come on the market. HSF has responded to this shifting landscape by continuing to work with member agencies to help LMI families achieve but, equally as important, also sustain affordable homeownership. Over the next year, HSF expects to facilitate:

300 new homeowners in SF
Phase III of website enhancements which include complete content translation into Spanish and Chinese , a “What’s Happening” page, online homebuyer education (e.g. eHome America), foreclosure information/education and a practitioner blog.
Customized, San Francisco-specific training for local realtor, lenders and mortgage brokers on affordable housing options, best practices in working with LMI families and optimizing use of HSF member agency services.
Ongoing capacity building for member agencies (e.g. the provision of scholarships to attend trainings and receive certifications, local professional workshop development series, etc.)
Technical assistance provided by professional consultants (e.g. client data management and reporting systems for each member agency, development of BMR workshop curriculum and marketing material.)
Exploration of the creation of a public-private loan fund to help LMI-BMR homeowners meet rising Homeowners’ Association (HOA) dues and special assessments.
Continued close collaboration with NeighborWorks America, Pacific District toward the goal of becoming San Francisco’s first affordable homeownership counseling NeighborWorks Affiliate.

Funding Partners and Supporters of HomeownershipSF

Corporations/Foundations/Organizations

Bank of America
CitiBank
Fidelity National Financial
JP Morgan Chase
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
NeighborWorks America
San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing/CDBG
San Francisco Foundation
US Bank
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Wells Fargo/Wachovia

Individual Donors/Supporters – Friends of HomeownershipSF who donate their time, talent and/or financial support:

Esteemed HomeownershipSF Board Members

Antero Sarin, Bank of America
Ed Donaldson, SF Housing Development Corporation
Greg Doxey, Community Representative of SFHDC
Jacqueline Marcelos, Community Representative of MEDA
Jean Dunn, JP Morgan Chase
Johnny Oliver, Mission Economic Development Agency (HSF Board Vice-Chair)
Ken Stram, 2Bridge Communications
LaDonna McTiller, Community Representative of Asian Inc.
Marco Chavarin, SF Office of Treasurer (HSF Board Treasurer)
Pov Oum, Asian Inc.
Rafael Morales, National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (HSF Board Chair)
Rick Harper, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of SF
Shannon Way, SF Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center (HSF Board Secretary)

Individuals partnering and providing support to HomeownershipSF:

Kevin Birmingham, Broker Associate, Zephyr Real Estate
Linda Harrison, Sotheby's International Realty
Mark Porter, Ameriprise Financial Services

Staff Members

Josie Ramirez, Executive Director

Josie is an affordable housing expert and a community development advocate with nineteen years of experience ranging from mortgage banking and affordable housing to property management and neighborhood development. Prior to joining HomeownershipSF, Josie served as the Director of Programs and the Homeownership Program Manager at Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) where she helped MEDA achieve the highest success rate for its clients both in education and counseling and people achieving homeownership in 2010.

Before that, Josie worked with the Builder Divisions at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Countrywide Home Loans as a Sales Manager and Mortgage Loan Consultant. Josie served as the preferred lender at new home communities for both market rate units and BMR/Affordable Housing Units, specializing in community lending products designed for low to moderate income (LMI), first-time homebuyers. She was recognized multiple years as a Top Producer as a Mortgage Loan Consultant and Manager.

Previously, Josie spent ten years working with South County Housing (SCH), a nonprofit affordable housing developer, where she implemented one of SCH’s first Self-Help Housing projects, where very low income, farmworker families helped to build their own homes.

Josie has served on numerous nonprofit boards including HomeownershipSF and the Community Services Development Corporation of San Benito County. She was also appointed as a community representative for the City of Hollister’s Affordable Housing Committee.

Malika Alim, Program Manager

Malika Alim has a background in various non-profit sectors. As the Program Manager for HomeownershipSF, Malika assists with major programs and services to expand the ability, reach, quality and coordination of local nonprofit homeownership service providers and member organizations. These programs and services include maintenance of a centralized website, providing public awareness and outreach, uniform delivery standards, coordination of information sharing, capacity building and advocacy and public policy development.

Prior to coming on-board with Homeownership Malika worked with the SF Probation department at the Community Justice Court as a Probation Assistant. Prior to working with the SF Probation Department Malika worked with LIIF in Human Resources and Administrative Services.

Malika has worked with many populations here in San Francisco and the Bay Area and is passionate about social change.

Community Partners

SF Community Land Trust (SFCLT)

SFCLT is a membership-based organization whose mission is to create permanently affordable, resident-controlled housing for low to moderate income people in San Francisco through community ownership of the land, or community land trust.

What is a Community Land Trust (CLT)?

Resident-ownership of multi-family properties through the Community Land Trust model is one means of stabilizing affordable housing, in perpetuity, for low-income and working class families. A CLT is a membership-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to create permanently affordable, resident-owned housing for low and moderate income people.

To learn more about SFCLT and the affordable homeownership opportunities it offers, please go to its website at www.sfclt.org

Habitat for Humanity, Greater San Francisco (Habitat GSF)

Habitat GSF is committed to making the dream of homeownership a reality for families with low incomes-a virtually unattainable dream for the majority of residents in San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula.

What is Habitat GSF?

It is a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International that partners with hardworking families, community volunteers and donors, to build affordable ownership homes in Marin, San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Through the Habitat for Humanity program, families working in service, manufacturing, retail and other sectors are able to live near their jobs in decent, safe, permanent homes.

To learn more about Habitat GSF and the affordable homeownership opportunities it offers, please go to its website at www. habitatgsf.org

National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates (NHORA)

NHORA is a national organization, with a local San Francisco chapter, whose mission is promoting Hispanic leadership within the context of community building, commerce, and transparency in the advancement of sustainable home ownership.

What does NHORA do?

Provides the Organizational Structure that allows NHORA Members to participate and promote their respective agendas and elect their leaders
Promotes Best Practices and encourages members to serve their communities in their role as trusted advisors to the Hispanic community
Community outreach and initiatives
Provides Educational Forums to meet the needs of local, regional, and national needs
Advocates Policy that promotes the legislative interests of the communities it serves
Disseminates relevant market information on industry trends

To learn more about NHORA, please go to its website at www.nhora.org