Owning a home can provide families with stability, financial opportunities, and a sense of community. However, nearly three fourths of would-be homeowners today cite affordability as the barrier that has prevented them from buying a home. This dynamic is exacerbated for families of color, where the US's legacy of segregation, redlining, and racialized policies has led to a racial homeownership gap. While the US homeownership rate increased to 65.5% in 2021, the rate among Black Americans lags significantly (44%) and is nearly 29 percentage points less than White Americans (72.7%). This is the largest Black-White homeownership rate gap in a decade. While owning a home can symbolize opportunity, high prices keep it out of reach for many households, preventing families from reaping the benefits of homeownership.
NHT is partnering with the Amazon Housing Equity Fund and Grounded Solutions Network to pilot a program that supports affordable homeownership in Amazon's hometown regions: Washington State’s Puget Sound region, the Arlington, Virginia region, and Nashville, Tennessee. Amazon has committed $40 million in grants and loans for organizational and project level support. NHT aims to create and preserve approximately 800 homeownership opportunities for households earning at or below 120% of the area median income.
The initiative provides loans and grants to support organizations building, preserving, and stewarding affordable homeownership projects, and will not directly give to individuals seeking mortgage and down payment support.
Program Goals
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Increase Access to Homeownership
Providing capital to community land trusts and mission-aligned housing developers who create new homeownership opportunities for individuals and families who have historically been excluded from homeownership.
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Reduce the Homeownership and Wealth Gap
Supporting partners that enable individuals of color to reap the benefits of homeownership and build generational wealth.
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Support the Growth of Innovative Homeownership Models
Providing financial and technical assistance to organizations who are developing new and creative homeownership models that maintain affordability moving forward, such as through a community land trust or limited equity housing cooperative.
Through this pilot, the initiative supports a range of models that promote affordable homeownership opportunities and prioritize permanent affordability. One innovative model is shared equity in community land trusts. In this model, land is owned and stewarded by nonprofits and community-based organizations and the homes remain affordable in perpetuity. Through a resale formula, a home’s appreciation is capped and shared by individual owners and the entire community. This allows subsidies to have a multigenerational impact and combat gentrification.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the initiative and partnership with Amazon or would like to inquire about funding, please contact us using one of the links below:
Program Partners
To date, the Initiative has partnered with the following organizations. If you would like to be considered for funding, please contact us.
African Community Housing & Development (ACHD)
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties
Homestead Community Land Trust
The Housing Fund
Douglass Community Land Trust
IMPACT
African Community Housing & Development
(Puget Sound)
"This funding, in combination with technical assistance, will allow ACHD to further develop our holistic services and affordable homeownership projects for the African Diaspora community in King County. ACHD knows that when we invest in affordable homeownership, we invest in advancing human dignity."
- Hamdi Abdulle, Executive Director
Douglass CLT
(Washington Metropolitan Area)
"We’re grateful for this support to help us expand our capacity to work with residents and development partners. The funding, combined with being able to tap the expertise of seasoned advisors, means we can continue to find and secure more homes that will be permanently affordable to DC residents who otherwise might not be able to stay here."
-Vaughn Perry, Board President