Empowering Black Homeownership Grant ($25,000)

We are so grateful to announce that Nevada Partners has been awarded $25,000 in funds from Toyota’s Financial Savings Bank. The program offers matching grants to HUD approved housing counseling agencies who serve communities that focus on increasing black ownership rates in Clark County. 

The Francisco Home Loan Bank is providing a total of $1 million in matching grants to Department of Housing and Development-approved counseling agencies to serve more aspiring and at-risk homeowners in communities of color. This grant program is called Empowering Black Homeownership. Eligible FHLBank San Francisco members that are making their own donations can request a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to a total of $125,000. The grants will be given to the housing counseling agencies to be used for HUD-eligible activities during 2022 and 2023, including staffing, marketing, along with pre-and post-purchase counseling services.

Bazemore’s career aligns with the mission of affordable housing, community development, and economic development. Housing is considered the primary way to address the wealth gap between Black and white households. A typical Black household has only about 23% of the wealth of a typical white household, an April 2021 Zillow study found. Lower home values and rates of homeownership among the Black population account for nearly 40% of that gap.

“We’re focused on working with counseling agencies that are working in minority communities that are primarily black communities, but there could be a variety of people [of color] who are in those communities and participate in the program,” Bazemore said.

The West Las Vegas Promise Neighborhoods, specifically our Affordable Housing and Wealth Creation Pillar, was created for Nevada Partners to focus on the same people. Watch this video for more information about this pillar, and explore our website. Owning a home is commonly upheld as a symbol of the American Dream. New Deal policies excluded Black families from the opportunities to build intergenerational wealth. With a focus on wealth creation through the support of social entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and down payment assistance, Nevada Partners seeks to build the capacity of residents of all ages so that future generations will fare better than the ones that came before them. 

But advocates have noted in the past that it’s not just getting home; it is also having the knowledge and ability to keep it.

“Knowledge is power, and this funding can help ensure that Black homebuyers and homeowners have equal access to all the information they need to feel confident in their own ability to purchase a home or sustain homeownership,” Bazemore said.

It is true that knowledge is power, and we must have the knowledge and ability to keep a house. This is where our resources come in, Eviction & Mortgage Assistance, Homebuyer Counseling, Rapid Re-Housing, Housing & Finance Tips, and Partners. Our Affordable Housing and Wealth Creation Pillar take care of the people who are in need of resources to benefit their physical life. We are passionate about educating our community members about all the ins and outs of becoming a first-time homebuyer. Here at Nevada Partners, the first step in becoming a first-time homebuyer is efficiently completing our First Time Homebuyers Education Class to then get set up with a counselor that will guide you through the whole process. We hold these classes in both English and Spanish.

The next classes will be held on:

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 [Spanish In-Person]

Call Housing Dept. Hotline: (702) 844-8134 or Email Housing Dept. Housing@NevadaPartners.org to get registered for the class and receive more information.