United Way of King County: Talk about African American Leadership Forum’s Downpayment Assistance Program.

Dawn Bennett: The partnership is with [Young Black Homeowners CEO] Anzhane Slaughter, who brought this work to African American Leadership Forum. I mentored Anzhane Slaughter. Anzhane saw us doing all this work and wanted to join in. She went to college, got her degree, learned how to do real estate, got her license, started doing real estate, and started engaging with the state and helping to put together the homeownership program with the State of Washington.

We were able to get the first grant for $2 million to help folks, and the second grant for $2.8 million. We were able to put together a small staff.

United Way of King County: What has been the impact of the program?

Dawn Bennett: We have helped at least 30 young people buy homes with $100,000 downpayment assistance. Folks think that when it comes to Black homeownership, our families would come with their credit broken, no job, that we’d have to help, help, help.

No, folks showed up ready. Because they had been denied so many times, African Americans and Latinos just kept working to get ready for when someone says, “Yes” to the loan. Anzhane ended up with a waiting list of about 112 people.

United Way of King County: What is the state of homeownership right now for African Americans in King County?

Dawn Bennett: We’re trying to close gaps, right? All the work, all the money, all the investments are about closing gaps. To close the gap between African Americans and White Americans would take 40 years of helping with these sorts of programs to close that gap. And the work has to be ongoing. You can’t do it and pull out, do it and pull out.

United Way of King County: What is the main barrier right now? Is the down payment? The closing costs? The loan itself?

Dawn Bennett: Our expert Anzhane says it’s the cost. The help is coming when the cost of a home has skyrocketed. It is unattainable. It seems like $100,000 is a lot of money, but when you look at what they are having to pay for first-time buyers who tried to attain home ownership years ago but were denied by banks, now there is something for them because the state is helping. Now, it’s somewhat unattainable because we have downpayment assistance, but prices have skyrocketed.

United Way of King County: What is the age limit to get help from Young Black Homeowners, and is it all first-time buyers?

Dawn Bennett: Young Black Homeowners will help anyone, but it’s usually adults around 21-35. No, it’s not only first-time buyers. Her program is for everyone.

United Way of King County: For someone who hears about this and wants help, what is the first thing they should do?

Dawn Bennett: Get ahold of Young Black Homeowners (YBH). And then they should get in touch with me. It has become a situation where Anzhane and Dawn have been getting in touch with people, and they have been getting in touch with us.

African American Leadership Forum is a member of the Black Community Building Collective, a group of Black-led organizations brought together by United Way of King County to build relationships, share best practices, and implement strategies with United Way funding. To learn more about the Black Community Building Collective, click here. To learn more about Young Black Homeowners, click here.