I received $72,000 in free cash just by making one call – money is available to people who meet the requirements

A HOMEOWNER is touting the availability of tens of thousands of dollars in mortgage assistance programs for struggling residents.

Sandra Flowers-Thompson was at risk of losing the home she shared with her two daughters when she fell 22 months late on her mortgage payments.

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The Sacramento, Calif., mother has faced economic hardship since suffering health problems during the pandemic.

As a single mother of two girls, she said losing her home was her biggest fear.

“I needed help, but I didn’t know where to go,” Flowers-Thompson told local NBC affiliate KCRA.

“What would I do? Where would I go? What would happen to me if I lost my home? It was a horrible, scary place to be, and I was alone,” she said.

O Greater Sacramento Urban League stepped in to help.

A little internet sleuthing uncovered the nonprofit, which offers a free counseling program to homeowners who meet the requirements.

Flowers-Thompson found exactly the type of assistance she was looking for.

She began working with an Urban League advisor, who guided her in applying for grants from various local and state organizations.

The pair were able to secure $72,000 in free money to help pay off the outstanding balance on Flowers-Thompson’s mortgage.

Money changed everything for the mother.

“Basically, [they] They helped me save my house and I’m very grateful to them for that,” she told local reporters.

OBJECTIVE TO HELP OWNERS

Most of the money that helped Flowers-Thompson came from a local housing assistance program in Sacramento County.

This program specifically works with homeowners to maintain their properties and first-time buyers to purchase new homes.

The organization’s goal is to achieve stability in homeownership, program director Michael Altobell told KCRA.

“We as an agency are there to step in and provide guidance on how to deal with your creditors and look for resources that can help,” he said.

Groups like the Urban League try to meet landlords where they are in terms of the types of services they provide.

“These counseling sessions can last several months, weeks, whatever the client needs, because everyone has a unique situation,” Altobell said.

COMBAT RACIAL INEQUALITY IN HOME OWNERSHIP

The Urban League also focuses on reducing economic disparities in home ownership experienced by minorities.

Black homeownership was just 34% in Sacramento County in 2021 – 2% below the national average.

For comparison, white homeownership was 65% on average in the US in the same year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Because of these racial disparities, financing programs like this are essential, Scott Robertson of the local Tri Counties Bank told KCRA.

“We are creating affordable programs to advise and help everyone enjoy the dream of homeownership,” Robertson said.

Flowers-Thompson told reporters she hopes her story inspires other homeowners to seek help when needed.