RiseUp Fund, a 501(c)(3) designated non-profit, created by Houwzer to provide a pathway to homeownership for underserved families, has received a $10,000 donation from ESSA Bank & Trust, a Stroudsburg-based community bank. ESSA Bank joins the growing number of companies that donate to the community and recognize the importance of making housing more accessible. This donation will be used to sponsor two low-income families in Delaware County, Pennsylvania with $5,000 grants to be used toward closing costs in the purchase of their first home.
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“We’re excited to partner with the RiseUp Fund to help in providing innovative ways to increase home ownership in the markets we serve,” said Peter Gray SEVP, Chief Operating Officer of ESSA Bank & Trust.
Using the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) classification as defined by the United Way, RiseUp serves low-to-moderate-income individuals and families who need help to secure their own home.
The RiseUp Fund also offers HUD-certified homebuyer educational seminars, which are mandatory precursors prior to awarding the grant. Awardees are assigned a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor as a mentor to assist them throughout their first year of homeownership to avoid pitfalls and mishaps that are common to first-time homeowners. Awards are based upon demonstrated financial need, geography, and successful completion of a HUD-certified homebuyer education seminar. All programs are offered to the Philadelphia and surrounding counties free of charge.
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“We are elated that ESSA Bank & Trust has chosen to invest in us and, by direct extension, into communities who have been left out of the homebuying process. This very generous gift from ESSA Bank & Trust will afford two families the opportunity to purchase their very first home by giving them access to funds and a choice of where they want to live. This begins the process of wealth accumulation for these families for generations to come,” said Suzanne Garber, CEO and Executive Director of the RiseUp Fund.
Houwzer, a certified B Corporation since 2016 and the first B Corporation real estate brokerage in the world, donates $100 to the RiseUp Fund for every home it helps its clients buy or sell, with 100% of those funds supporting eligible families with homebuyer grants and programs. The RiseUp Fund also offers Houwzer’s expert salaried agents, affordable mortgage services, and a host of education and mentoring programs to set up traditionally underserved populations for successful homeownership long after the purchase of their first home. To apply for RiseUp or become a partner in the Fund.
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