A new housing stability loan for renters will be featured at the Community Day in Washington, DC on September 16
Washington, D.C.—Make Room, Inc., the national advocacy nonprofit raising awareness about the 25 million Americans struggling to pay rent, is collaborating with Citi Community Development and Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) to provide resources to lower income families at the Home, Health & Finance Expo and Symposium. The free event will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC from 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2018.
CBA and Make Room, with support from Citi Community Development, are working together to address a growing crisis in housing affordability by developing, implementing, and disseminating a housing stability loan toolkit at Home, Health & Finance! Events in Washington DC, Miami and Chicago. Housing stability loans are a new and innovative way to help renters fill the gaps in cash flow while renting. They can be used to stabilize rentals and help build credit to expand access to renting or buying a home.
“Together, we have the opportunity to solve a significant consumer challenge by scaling access to temporary loan assistance and preventing evictions, and homelessness. We will work with community-based partners, engage the media, and use Make Room’s digital platform to raise awareness of and access to housing stability loans and housing services that can help low and moderate-income families become more resilient,” said Ali Solis, Make Room President and CEO.
Over the past two decades, rents in Washington, D.C. have risen dramatically (approximately 86%) while wages have only risen by 33%, severely impacting low-income renters. In the Washington DC Metro area, 46% of renters are cost burdened, with 24% of renters severely cost burdened. During Home, Health & Finance in Washington, DC, CBA will showcase the DC-based Latino Economic Development Center, offering housing stability loans up to $2,000 to help renters cover the costs of security deposits, move-in expenses, help keep up with bills and avoid eviction.
“Research shows that just $1,200 per household can prevent homelessness, eviction, or foreclosure for thousands of struggling families. By collaborating with Make Room and Credit Builders Alliance, we aim to help empower financially vulnerable residents to withstand financial shocks, remain in their homes, and build more resilient and stable economic futures,” said Hala Farid, Senior Vice President of Citi Community Development.
Made possible through collaboration with Citi Community Development, Home, Health and Finance! is a traveling event, which kicks off in DC – followed by stops in Miami and Chicago – and is expected to attract 300 to 500 attendees. The all-day event features:
- Opportunities for consumers to connect with representatives from the housing, financial services, healthcare, utility, and other sectors.
- Interactive sessions with experts in financial literacy, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, and more.
- Free childcare for registered participant’s and Free admission to National Building Museum exhibitions for registered participants
“As one of Make Room’s partners, Credit Builders Alliance, which is a national non-profit alliance of organizations that provide affordable consumer loans and financial counseling, is thrilled to have several of CBA’s local partners in attendance to spotlight their services,” said Dara Duguay, Executive Director, CBA.
J.W. Cortes, a marine combat veteran who plays Detective Alvarez on the hit Fox drama series Gotham while still actively working as an MTA Police Officer in New York City, is the 2018 Celebrity Ambassador and will appear at Home, Health & Finance DC. Cortes will take part in a candid one-on-one discussion with Ali Solis about housing insecurity and his personal connection to the cause.
“I am honored to be Make Room’s Celebrity Ambassador because I experienced constraints and pressures of housing insecurity while growing up very modestly in Brooklyn. I also encounter numerous fellow veterans who are homeless on the streets of NY during my shifts with the NYPD. I look forward to sharing my story to elevate the importance of this social issue that is impacting veteran communities all across this country.”
The National Building Museum’s ground-breaking exhibition exploring the causes and impacts of eviction, coincides with the purpose of Make Room’s Home, Health & Finance Community Day. “Evicted,” which is open through May 19, 2019, is a collaboration with Matthew Desmond, professor of sociology at Princeton University, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, and best-selling author, and offers an immersive experience bringing visitors into the world of low-income renter eviction.
“The Evicted exhibition has been revelatory for our visitors,” said Chase Rynd, president and executive director, National Building Museum. “So many people did not know anything about the low-income renter/eviction crisis, and we have not only opened their eyes to the crisis, but also given them tools to help make a change. We are proud to work with Make Room to further this educational initiative and give folks more avenues for success.”
About Make Room, Inc.
Make Room, the nation’s leading organization working to address the rental housing crisis in America, gives voice to struggling renters and seeks to elevate affordable rental housing on the national agenda. We’re advocating for better policies and telling the stories of real families who can’t make rent today. Make Room’s goal is to engage 1 million renters on our online platform to send 1 million messages to elected officials by 2020. Home, Health and Finance is one way of reaching that goal while providing renters with needed resources aimed at improving their circumstances.
About Citi Community Development
Citi Community Development leads Citi’s commitment to financial inclusion and economic empowerment for underserved individuals, families and communities across the U.S. Through innovative collaborations with municipalities, community groups and leading nonprofit organizations, we harness the institution’s expertise, products and services to help expand opportunity for all.
Additional information may be found at http://citicommunitydevelopment.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
About Credit Builders Alliance
Credit Builders Alliance serves as a unique and vital bridge between our nonprofit members and the major credit reporting agencies (CRAs). Through this support, CBA helps people who are outside the financial mainstream build credit to achieve their goals and enjoy financial security for themselves and their families. Our core services, CBA Reporter and CBA Access, provide nonprofits with both the ability and critical technical assistance to report loan data to the CRAs and to pull low-cost client credit reports for the purposes of financial education, outcome tracking and underwriting.
About National Building Museum
The National Building Museum inspires curiosity about the world we design and build. We believe that understanding the history and impact of architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, construction, and design is important for all ages. Through exhibitions and educational programs, we show how the built world has power to shape our lives, communities, and futures. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media Contact: Zayda Rivera at 347-949-3365, zrivera@3LCommunique.com