A Stronger Path to Homeownership: The Impact of Housing Counseling

Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions a person can make, and the path to sustainable homeownership can be complex. In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago’s Jamie Lutton sits down with Sharon Legenza, Executive Director of Housing Action Illinois, and David Young, Director of Capacity Building, to explore how housing counseling helps prospective and current homeowners make informed decisions throughout their homeownership journey.

They discuss the value of engaging with a housing counselor early, the challenges facing housing counseling organizations today and how strong partnerships between counselors and financial institutions can help build a pipeline of informed, prepared homebuyers. The conversation also explores how FHLBank Chicago’s Community First^® Housing Counseling Resource Program helps strengthen the housing counseling network and how programs such as Downpayment Plus^® can help members support eligible homebuyers on the path to homeownership.

You can also watch the conversation on YouTube below.