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Resources

Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Guide Right

  • Courses, tools and resources on credit and finances.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Credit Sesame

  • Credit Sesame has a financial literacy guide and tools to help you view your credit score and improve your score.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Esusu

  • Build credit while renting. Build your credit score by reporting rent payments to TransUnion and Equifax. Enroll in their annual program for $50/year. or ask your landlord to register on your behalf.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

BB&T Bank on Your Success

  • a free financial knowledge program, including video instruction as well as an onsite coach provided by BB&T.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Capital Area Asset Builders

  • CAAB’s Matched Savings Program is a savings program to assist DC area residents live their dreams.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

True Bill

  • Truebill empowers you to save more, spend less, see everything, and take back control of your financial life.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Creditrich

  • Creditrich
  • Optimize your credit score with this app!
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

The Financial Gym

  • A service with a monthly fee to work with a Certified Financial Trainer to tackle goal-setting, budgeting & saving, travel hacking, debt repayment, credit cards, investment education and secure retirement. The monthly fee can be canceled at any time.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

Media Fellowship House Money Match

  • Media Fellowship House's Money Match Program is a savings program to assist qualifying Philadelphia area residents save for their first home purchase.
Credit Support and/or Financial Counseling

FreddieMac CreditSmart

  • Education has power, and it's in your hands with CreditSmart's housing and financial capability resources. Whether its renting, buying or saving for the future, CreditSmart has something for you.

Home Buyer Education

Home Buyer Education

Freddie Mac

  • Purchasing a home is one of the biggest, most important investments you'll make. Lean on us for reliable and sound advice — including if buying is right for you.
Home Buyer Education

MyMove

  • MyMove
  • Moving checklist and resources to help make your move easier
Home Buyer Education

Dream Builders Learning Academy

  • Dream Builders Learning Academy
  • This is a series of educational videos and step-by-step guides through the home buying process for first time buyers. It's a paid subscription.
Home Buyer Education

Bankrate: Independence After Domestic Violence

  • Securing Housing After Domestic Violence
Home Buyer Education

Move.com

  • Resources for consumers looking to move including realtor.com.
Home Buyer Education

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America

  • Fighting for economic justice with America's best mortgage.
  • The Homebuyer Workshop will provide you with an overview of the home buying process, real estate issues, and mortgage options including HUD mortgage programs and the NACA Mortgage. You will receive important information about becoming mortgage ready and NACA Qualified.

BIPOC Owned/Led Banks

BIPOC Owned/Led Banks

City First Bank (DC Community Bank)

BIPOC Owned/Led Banks

Bank Black USA

BIPOC Owned/Led Banks

Industrial Bank

DC Area Home Buying Education + Resources

Home Buying Education + Resources

DC Finance Agency

  • Front Door
  • A DC Government website helping current and future DC homeowners thrive
Home Buying Education + Resources

CBOs

  • Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Community-Based Non-Profit Organizations (CBO) provide housing counseling services and training to potential homeowners, current homeowners, and tenants, focusing on low-to-moderate income residents and neighborhoods. The CBOs provide outreach, application intake, counseling and training to support a variety of DHCD programs for homeowners, potential homeowners, and renters.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Habitat for Humanity DC

  • Habitat for Humanity provides a unique opportunity for families to build and buy their own homes.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Individual Development Accounts

  • Capital Area Asset Builders
  • Matched Savings Program
HOME BUYING EDUCATION + RESOURCES

Home Buyers Club

  • Urban League
Home Buying Education +Resources

Lydia's House

  • Lydia’s House is a full service Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved faith-based counseling agency and a District of Columbia funded housing counseling agency serving Ward 8. Lydia’s House is making it possible for first time home buyers to purchase property in the Washington metropolitan area.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Virginia Housing

  • Virginia Housing
  • Helping Virginians Attain Quality, Affordable Housing
Home Buying Education + Resources

HPAP

  • Department of Housing and Community Development
  • The Home Purchase Assistance (HPAP) program provides interest-free loans and closing cost assistance to qualified applicants to purchase single family houses, condominiums, or cooperative units in the District.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) Affordable Housing Program

  • Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Lottery based program for people who live or work in DC to purchase IZ properties.
Resources

District Alliance for Safe Housing

  • Largest Provider of Safe Housing for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence in DC
Home Buying Education + Resources

DC Open Doors

  • DC Open Doors makes homeownership in Washington, D.C. affordable by offering qualified buyers home purchase loans, down payment and closing cost assistance.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Mighty Deposits

  • Find out what your bank does with your money. Mighty analyzes public data so you can see what any U.S. bank or credit union invests in. Every bank. Every credit union. Same calculations. No exceptions. Find banking aligned with your values.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Maryland Mortgage Program

  • Department of Housing and Community Development
  • The Maryland Mortgage Program helps homebuyers in Maryland achieve their dream of homeownership through a range of programs that make purchasing and owning a home more affordable.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Greater Washington Urban League

  • Greater Washington Urban League
  • Housing Counseling Services

Philadelphia Area Home Buying Education + Resources

Home Buying Education + Resources

Philly First Home

  • Philly First Home
  • First time home buyer assistance program for buyers with an income below their guidelines.
Home Buying Education + Resources

First Front Door

  • First Front Door
  • First Front Door (FFD) can help qualified first-time home buyers with closing costs and down payment. For every $1 you contribute, FFD will provide $3 in assistance, up to $5,000.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia

  • Habitat for Humanity provides a unique opportunity for families to build and buy their own homes.
Home Buying Education + Resources

The Road Home New Jersey First Time Home Buyer Guide

  • The Road Home New Jersey First Time Home Buyer Guide
  • This guide has great information for New Jersey home buyers, but also has information that would benefit first time home buyers in other areas.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Urban League of Philadelphia

  • Urban League of Philadelphia
  • Get educated about budgeting and home maintenance.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

  • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
  • PHFA offers home purchase and refinance loans to qualified borrowers throughout the Commonwealth.
Resources

The Road Home New Jersey

  • The Road Home New Jersey
  • New Jersey first-time homebuyers can get $10,000 toward their home purchase.
Home Buying Education + Resources

Mighty Deposits

  • Find out what your bank does with your money. Mighty analyzes public data so you can see what any U.S. bank or credit union invests in. Every bank. Every credit union. Same calculations. No exceptions. Find banking aligned with your values.

DC Area Real Estate Agents

realtor

Homes by Lorielle

  • Homes by Lorielle
realtor

Lisa Miller Scott

  • Elevation Realty
realtor

Eddie Suarez

  • LGBTQ
realtor

Tiffany Renwick

  • Coldwell Banker
realtor

Troy Patterson

  • The Spera Group
realtor

Shaquia Peace

  • Shaquia Peace: Realtor
realtor

Kenn Blagburn

  • DC Real Property
realtor

Marilyn Charity

  • Marilyn Charity
realtor

Nelson Marban

  • LGBTQ

DC Area Mortgage Companies

Mortgage Company

Evolve Bank & Trust Mortgage

  • Elevation Realty
Mortgage Company

Fortis Mortgage

Mortgage Company

Chenoa Fund

Mortgage Company

City First Bank

Mortgage Company

Industrial Bank

DC Area BIPOC Owned Title Companies

Title Company

Lexicon Title

Title Company

Premium Title

Have an inquiry? Contact us here

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1508 U St. NW Washington DC 20001

EMAIL ADDRESS

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202 986 3088

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About

Our housing justice program offers down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first time home buying residents in the DC and Philadelphia areas. Awards range from $5,000 to $15,000 and grants are made multiple times per year until funds are expended.

The application/review process is straight forward and uncomplicated.

Our Board of Advisors reviews applications, interviews finalists and identifies grantees. This is a partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation who supports the administrative complexity so we can very simply help people buy homes. *

Applicants must identify as one of the following: American Indian, Indigenous, Alaska Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, African American, Hispanic or Latinix birdSEED has made 29 provisional grants to date. The total grant pool available was $215,000. Additional funds have been raised from supportive community members who shared our vision of simple, no strings financial down payment grants that accelerate the home buying process. If you are positioned to give, please do. Needs are great, resources are limited and your help is essential.

Contact info