Once upon a time, Fabiola Williams thought owning a home was impossible. Now, thanks to IMPACCT Brooklyn’s Home Services department, she’s the proud owner of a two-story house in Queens.
In 2016, Fabiola was raising a family in a cramped Brooklyn apartment when she started dreaming of home ownership – no landlord, a backyard, a better living arrangement for her children. But buying a home seemed out of reach.
“I didn’t think home ownership was achievable in the past,” Fabiola recalled.
Enter IMPACCT Brooklyn.
Fabiola was referred to IMPACCT Brooklyn’s First Time Homebuyer program in July 2016. She worked with Daune, our Financial Counselor, before reconnecting with Pat Hernandez, our Homebuyer Counselor and Senior Programs Manager. Pat and Fabiola worked together at another nonprofit in the past, and Pat guided her through the home buying process and introduced her to a number of resources she didn’t know about it.
“When Fabiola started working with us, she contacted us because the other non-profit organization she was working with did not offer homeownership counseling anymore,” Pat said. “I was just a consultant with IMPACCT Brooklyn at the time, so she started working with Daune. When I came back to the IMPACCT Brooklyn offices, I continued working with her.”
“She was very driven and completed lots in a short time, including the First Home Club a Ten Months Savings Plan.”
After learning about all the programs and grants available for first time homeowners, Fabiola decided to give buying a home a try. It wasn’t easy, but thanks to IMPACCT Brooklyn’s “tremendously helpful” direction, Fabiola eventually qualified for the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT grant, the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance grant, the First Home Club grant, and the Down Payment Assistance Loan grant from SONYMA!
“I asked her to apply to restored homes through Neighborhood Restore,” Pat said. The Neighborhood Restore program renovates abandoned property to create responsible homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. “She was on a list before given property to buy in Queens, which she got on a subsidy.
Pat said Fabiola also applied for Neighborhood Lift and First Home Club grants.
“The Home First grant offered $25,000 at the time we applied, but the amount available was increased to $40,000 after she applied, so she benefit from that.”
“Without those grants, my homeownership dream would not be successful,” Fabiola said.
She closed on her family’s new home this past summer, and she couldn’t be happier.
“I’m so proud when my children walk in and say, ‘Mommy I’m going to the backyard,’ or ‘Mommy, I’m going upstairs!’ I feel safer, we have more freedom to walk around, the house is beautiful, and I feel so blessed.”
“We smile a lot more now.”
Buying a home isn’t impossible with IMPACCT Brooklyn’s help! Take the first step towards homeownership with our First Time Home Buyer’s course, intended to educate you about the buying process and help you overcome any barriers you might encounter. Space is still available for the last workshop of 2018, so sign up today!
