Making Home Ownership a Reality

For millions of working families, owning a home has come to symbolize the American dream.
Through homeownership, a family acquires a place to live and raise children and invests in an
asset that can grow in value and provide the capital needed for future economic opportunities.
Homeownership can also stimulate the physical, economic, and social revitalization of
neighborhoods. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is committed
to promoting homeownership for all Americans, including families of modest means, and has set
a goal with its national partners to generate up to 8 million additional homeowners by the year
2000, which translates into a national homeownership rate of up to 67.5 percent. A concurrent
goal is to narrow the gap between the number of low income homeowners and other
homeowners.
Because of this commitment, HUD is searching for best practices and studying homeownership
models. To learn more about one of the most successful homeownership programs for low
income families, the Department funded Making Homeownership a Reality: Survey of Habitat
for Humanity International Homeowners and Affiliates. This study is the first to present
systematic information collected from Habitat homeowners and their experiences with
homeownership. Findings from this study will help inform the Department as it continues to
promote and implement homeownership among low income families.