Community

NAACP and NID Work to Raise Minority Home Ownership

Published

5 years ago

March 15, 2019

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and NID Housing Counseling Agency (NID) entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the NAACP board of directors meeting held Feb. 16, 2019 in New York City.

Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance programs, up-front cash, and improving credit scores are part of an Empowerment Plan to reduce the wealth gap.

The common theme of the presentations made during the MOU signing ceremony presented to the assembled NAACP directors by Derrick Johnson, President/ CEO, NAACP, Leon Russell, Board Chair, NAACP and Ray Carlisle, Sr., President/CEO NID was ‘economic development is a political issue; civic engagement is critical to the success of the NAACP/NID social entrepreneurial partnership and the families and communities they traditionally serve.’

The MOU is focused on the economic empowerment of African American families and communities; initially through access to knowledgeable fair and affordable home loan mortgage lending to foster the growth of quality homeownership opportunities for Black families. The African American and White wealth gap is presently the greatest in several decades; with 95 percent of Black wealth traditionally contained in the equity in their homes.

The US Census Bureau homeownership rate statistics by race in 2018 reports the Black homeownership rate at 42.9 percent for Hispanic 46.9 percent, Asian/ Pacific Islander 58.1 percent and White homeownership rate at 73.6 percent. All reported homeownership rate categories increased over the past five years except that of African Americans, which actually decreased.

The financial crisis had a disproportionate negative impact on Black homeownership and in the recovery period, Blacks continued to lose ground in their ability to build and/or rebuild wealth through homeownership.

Johnson thanked NID and told Carlisle that the NAACP “will continue to do what is necessary to resist attacks on our communities and see equal opportunity and social justice prevail. We are grateful that you have partnered with us. Only together can we truly link the various strands of our communities to influence change in the political climate of our nation.”

NAACP and NID, through their national offices, will coordinate with their selected local NAACP Units and NID Branch offices to hold specific housing education and counseling events designed to empower Black families and urban communities with knowledge and assistance in the home mortgage lending and home buying processes. They will also co-sponsor events at NAACP National and State Conventions.

Key components of the products and services participants will be educated on are local Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance programs and improving credit scores to address the main barriers to purchasing a home, up-front cash and excellent credit, as well as how to analyze and manage a home loan and purchase as an economic and social investment.

NAACP, founded in 1909, is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure that the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

NID, Oakland based and founded in 1986, is the largest African American HUD Approved National Intermediary Organization in the nation. The NID mission is to work with its clients and partners in building communities where socially and economically diverse families and populations can live and prosper in a quality, safe and healthy environment.

Post Staff

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Vivian Coit, 98

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Vivian Coit

Celebrating A Life Well Lived

Sept. 15, 1925 ~ March 30, 2024

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

In her 98 years, she had various jobs – San Francisco Naval Shipyard, elevator operator, housekeeping, a salesclerk, and supervisor for the United States Postal Service. After 27 years of service with the United States Postal Service, she retired with numerous commendations. She was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. and a devoted member of the Washington/Lincoln Alumni Association of Dallas, Texas.

On April 20 at 10:00 a.m., a life well-lived will be celebrated at Beebe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA under the leadership of Rev. Antoine Shyne.

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Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

12 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!