Support Adopt A Family on #GivingTuesday: A global day of giving
Monetary donations made will be directed to Adopt A Family which provides basic necessities and gifts to people we serve in our housing and other programs who have very limited income. Many of the recipients are just getting back on their feet after experiencing homelessness. Many of these families would go without during the holidays if not for Adopt A Family!
Please click
here to donate!
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We are also accepting donations of
cleaning supplies and toiletries.
Many of the families in our supportive housing programs come to us with little more than the clothes on their backs, and have very limited budgets for extra necessities such as these.
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This month I'd like to introduce you to Rebecca "Becca" Mix, a Development assistant in our Troy office.
In addition to managing and developing properties, another area of expertise is our
Homeownership program. Becca's role within this program is to assist low- and moderate-income households purchase a quality, affordable home.
We do this by purchasing existing homes in Oakland and Macomb counties, rehabilitating the homes and marketing them to homebuyers. The benefits of purchasing one of our rehabilitated homes are many.
- Homes are 100% move-in ready, up-to-date, and energy efficient.
- Purchase price of home is the appraised value.
- If approved, each homebuyer receives homebuyer assistance based on their personal financial situation.
- Homebuyer assistance makes the home more affordable by reducing the mortgage and/or closing costs.
- Homebuyer assistance is a zero-interest, zero-payment second mortgage with Oakland or Macomb county, that is not due until the home is sold or ceases to be the owner's primary residence.
- Homebuyers should have the recommend minimum of 1% of the home's purchase price available in personal funds at time of closing.
- We coordinate the closing with the lender and title agency.
Becca is currently in the process of assisting potential
 homeowners with the purchase of nine available homes in Oakland and Macomb counties. She
manages the process of reviewing initial screenings and determining if the applicants fit within the program limits. If they do, she helps guide them through the application process, assemble their application, does a preliminary review, and then submits the application package to the county.
You can see information on available homes and how to begin the home buying-process here. Becca's supervisor, Kirsten Elliott, Vice President of Development shares, "We are so lucky to have Becca as part of our team. She is extremely smart, a great writer and has built great relationships with our stakeholders."
Let's turn to Becca now and give her a chance to answer a few questions.
How did you become involved with CHN?
I was actually working the career fair for my internship with the Peace Corps the day CHN came to Oakland University. I met C.J. Felton, Director of Development, when I was walking around at the end of the fair and we talked about CHN and the Development department. I never thought that conversation would lead to working for CHN, but I'm so glad that it did!
I handle all the screenings and I also do the initial review of applications, collect further paperwork, and do the full assembly before it gets sent off to the county.  A really important part of this application is the completion of Homebuyer Education - and most of my applicants have no idea what that is. They can't be approved by the county or receive down payment assistance until they take a Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) approved homebuyer education class such as the one CHN teaches.
Maddie Jaks is the go-to person for applicants interested in taking the class, so she's been amazing when it comes to answering my questions about the class, the process, etc.
What has been the most impactful moment you've experienced while working with our Homeownership program?
Realizing how much this process means to every person applying has been the most impactful by far. You can't help but care. Even if applicants don't fit our program, I still end up trying to find resources that might help them bridge the gap between their dream of owning a home and actually achieving that dream. For most of these people, it's more than just a house. Some have never lived in anything but rentals. Others grew up in a house as children and want that for their own family. They want walls they can paint their favorite color or a backyard for their kids to play in. It's personal. Even though to them I'm just a voice on the phone or an email address, the applicants end up sharing little threads of their dreams with me, and those are the moments that make it enjoyable.
Anything else you'd like to add about the Homeownership program?
Yes! Anyone interested should start at our website because there's a wealth of information there, but if they have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. My email address is rmix@chninc.net.
Any parting words of wisdom?
If you find the story of a problem, you can find the plot holes, and the parts that need to be fixed.
Also, drink more water.
I am grateful for Becca's work, as well as the work of all CHN team members.
Thank you for your ongoing support!
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With support from:
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