The Affordable Homeownership Resource Guide is based on partners and working group members that came together to support the implementation of the One Economy 2020 Blueprint for Action through the project’s strategic implementation teams. The lending institutions and nonprofits originally listed in the printed guide had established themselves as working group members and were included based on their track record of engagement with the effort.
 
In its online version, the Affordable Homeownership Resource Guide upholds several principles:

• That the racial and ethnic homeownership gaps nationally and in our community are evidence that the goals of fair housing legislation like the Fair Housing Act of 1968 have not been fully realized, and the community should continue its work to close these gaps,

• Anyone in our community may set a personal goal of achieving homeownership, and everyone benefits when resources related to homeownership are easy to find and well organized and accessible, and 

• Advancing these principles will take ongoing partnership and collaboration among local people in our community, and we are dedicated to supporting that local collaboration.

The following criteria define eligible listings for the resource guide and were last revised in June 2024.
 
The following categories of resources are currently eligible to be listed in the guide:

• Lending programs or services offered by lending institutions, provided that

  • The institution has a physical footprint in Polk County, Iowa, including lending officers in the county who can meet with interested members of the public

  • The institution expresses a commitment to serving first-time homebuyers, low- and moderate-income homebuyers, or minority homebuyers, including through offering a special purpose credit program focused on serving an economically disadvantaged class of persons.

  • Institutions subject to Community Reinvestment Act reporting requirements have a ranking of satisfactory or higher.

• HUD-certified homeownership counseling organizations

  • Provided they have a physical presence in Polk County.

• Programs offering home repair, financial counseling, legal aid, or mortgage assistance to low- and moderate- income homeowners or homebuyers provided the programs

  • are offered by a nonprofit or government entity, and 

  • the program considers Polk County Iowa to be part of its main service area, with a physical office located in the county preferred.