When 66 Boerum, an alumni association of Heartshare / St. Vincent’s Foster Care Agency in Brooklyn, told us about their upcoming Housing Summit and asked us to organize a Home Buyer Seminar to educate young people who have aged out of foster care, we answered with a resounding “YES!”

We assembled a stellar group of experts–Mortgage lender Sean Butler of Dime, real estate agent Alikah Williams of CB Realty, real estate attorney Ryan Walsh of Walsh Gilad Law, home inspector Jacqueline Gathers of Pillar to Post Home Inspections, and our own Monroe Shannon, Program Manager for Insurance and Resiliency,  and Patricia Primo, our Director of Programs. In a Q and A format, they willingly shared a wealth of knowledge, advice, and warnings about purchasing a first home.    

The group of young people, who were age 25 to 30 and were either in the process of purchasing a home, had been turned down, or had questions about the process, came with open minds, smart questions, and an eagerness to learn.

We were delighted and honored to contribute to this community event, helping a vulnerable population gain confidence, connections, and hope for a brighter future.