The Salvation Army, Osceola County and a number of other community partners are trying to keep the American Dream alive.
Owning a home should be a tangible thing for working families. But in a real estate market where rents are even out of reach for some, the qualification process for buying a house — making sure income levels, credit scores and debt ratios meet standards is often difficult — shuts them out. It means the best they can do is “lease the American Dream.”
The local non-profit partners are trying to change that. The Salvation Army of Osceola County Monday held an event to announce the first two qualifiers for the Pathway to Housing program, a program announced and funded last year, when it, the county, Housing 4 All, La Rosa Realty and Walmart joined forces to collect $1 million to seed the program.
At the heart of the program, the Salvation Army will provide one year of rent payments in order to allow participants to save for a down payment. It also includes financial and home buying education in order to break down the barriers of what can be a cumbersome home-buying process. That’s especially true for those who work and make too much to qualify for low-income housing help, but not enough to own — and barely rent — in the current local market.
Liz Canet, a single mother of four, and Amanda Wilkerson, a single UCF associate professor, have been named the first two beneficiaries of the program that will assist them.
Canet, a mother of children ages 16, 14, 6 and 4, sees the crisis firsthand. She works in property management and sees families look at apartments all week long — then often turn back when they hear the rent amount and know they have to earn three times that to qualify.
“I know the struggles. This will give us the goal,” said Canet, who said she pays $2,200 per month for her family’s apartment. “Single moms are trying and struggling out there every day, with their families. I’ve rented my whole life, the program will be a great opportunity to teach my children a new model and create a pathway to success.”
Wilkerson said programs like these often overlook working-class people who desire to own a home and get out of the spiral of renting.
“I’ve done what everyone told me to do regarding my education, and it came with a healthy amount of debt,” she said, noting her rent increased $300 this year with no added amenities. “I consider this as a blessing, access to the American Dream, and hope this will look at people like me. I’ve looked into the process before and been told ‘no’ so many times.
“The commitment doesn’t start with the house, it starts now with the discipline in doing the financial counseling and saving. I’m thinking about the process right now, before the house. Can I find joy in sacrificing and the education of the process?”
County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry, who does a great deal of work with the Salvation Army, said Monday’s announcement “celebrates a remarkable achievement.
“I am proud to see this program become a reality. We will chronicle the journey of these families from today until the day they turn the key on their new home,” she said.
Salvation Army Area Commander Ken Chapman said the program, and home ownership, is about dignity.
“Everyone deserves dignity, this brings it to those who are having a hard time getting a home of their own,” he said. “It’s the biggest problem we have in Central Florida. Even if someone gave us a trillion dollars, we’d be three years away from solving this. We are grateful for the vision that is building a better community.”
