HOME filed 20 complaints with the federal and state government alleging that advertisements on Craigslist and other sites violated fair housing laws.

September 26, 2009: The City of Richmond & HOME are holding HOME Preservation Clinics to help those behind on their mortgages.

HOME is making a free self-help kit available to homeowners who are behind on their mortgages

Delegate Jennifer McClellan and Senator Donald McEachin filed legislation today to add a layer of protection for Virginia homeowners when dealing with mortgage brokers. The Trust in Lending Act (H.B. 1776) requires mortgage brokers in Virginia to act in the best interest of their clients.

HOME releases 2008 Hampton Roads Audit Results (video)

Year-long fair housing audit by Housing Opportunities Made Equal shows increased number of discrimination and illegal barrier problems

The rise in foreclosures has spawned a new industry that takes advantage of vulnerable homeowners afraid of losing their homes. It is called the foreclosure rescue scam. Homeowners are tricked into paying for non-existent services, losing equity, or losing the home.

The Center for Housing Leadership at Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME) announces the release of the inaugural Virginia Housing Statistics Snapshot, a FREE data source for media focusing on the housing market in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Snapshot, which includes statistics related to housing from leading sources, organizes data-rich information on affordable housing, fair housing, and fair lending.

Housing Advocates to Converge on Capitol Square– January 31st.

Foreclosures in Virginia increased by 138% in the first quarter of 2007, compared to the first quarter of 2006, according to data tracked by foreclosure specialists, RealtyTrac. Virginia’s rate of increase vastly exceeded the national average of 35%.

On April 19, 2007, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME) formally opens its doors in Portsmouth.

Forty years after the Chicago Freedom Movement energized the civil rights demands of a nation, Wachovia & Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. have partnered to bring seminal images of those critical days to Richmond. Chicago-based civil rights activist and photographer Bernie Kleina will present his photographs of days that changed the history of a nation.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. and Wachovia have partnered to bring seminal images of those critical days of the Chicago Freedom Movement to Richmond by Chicago-Based Civil Rights Activist, Former Priest, and Photographer Bernard J. Kleina.

Following the holidays, many families realize just how far they have fallen further into debt as bills start to arrive. The percentage of the average family’s disposable income devoted to covering debt payments reached an all-time high in 2006. Credit cards are maxed out and many are now falling behind on their rent or mortgage. In Richmond, the projected foreclosure rate for subprime loans made in 2006 is 20.2%. That is 1 out of every 5! The average American credit card holder has $9200 in debt.

According to a report released today, the Housing Wage for Virginia is $17.13. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. This represents an increase of 42% since 2000.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. has received the Best Housing
Organization Award as presented by Gov. Tim Kaine at the 2006 Governor’s Housing Conference in Norfolk on November 30th.

HSBC North America Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HBC) today announced it has awarded a $90,000 grant to Housing Opportunities Made Equal to fund the Richmond-based not-for-profit organization’s financial literacy and first-time homebuyer programs.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. today announced an organizational realignment to better fight inequities in housing access and opportunities.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. announced today that it has filed a fair housing complaint against the City of Manassas for the adoption and enforcement of an ordinance defining “family” in a way that limits the ability of Latino households to live in Manassas.

Signs that say, “WE STOP FORECLOSURES! WE BUY HOMES! HOMES FOR CASH!” are sprouting up all across the US, and Richmond is certainly seeing its share. But beware! A new form of fraud and predatory lending is sweeping the nation and it is called “foreclosure rescue scams”.

Last week, the city’s social services went to the aid of those displaced from Carrington Gardens after the city’s inspector condemned the 216 unit complex. Richmond‘s Dept. of Social Services was able to put the remaining 40-50 residents in a local hotel for a week.

The coast-to-coast real estate boom has spawned a nasty dark side in the form of an extremely widespread and damaging consumer scam. Foreclosure “rescue” scams find their opening at the intersection of surging home values and the new financial stresses many families face, says NCLC’s new report “Dreams Foreclosed: The Rampant Theft of Americans’ Homes Through Equity-Stripping Foreclosure ‘Rescue’ Scams.”

• Full Report from NCLC, click here.
• NCLC Press Release, click below.

The City of Richmond and Housing Opportunities Made Equal (H.O.M.E.) will be in Blackwell & Beaufont Grove (formerly Jefferson Village Apartment Complex) communities on Wednesday (October 20th) to educate homeowners about predatory and abusive lending practices.

A groundbreaking new homeownership initiative to simultaneously help Richmond area borrowers avoid predatory lenders, prepare for the financial responsibilities of homeownership, and access a wider range of safe, flexible mortgage products was unveiled today by a new coalition that includes Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. (H.O.M.E.), Branch Banking and Trust (BB&T), the City of Richmond, and Freddie Mac, one of the nation’s largest investors in residential mortgages.

The lawsuit of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) and other fair housing organizations against the Prudential Insurance Company took an unusual turn yesterday as the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) petitioned the State of Indiana Department of Insurance to reject the sale of Prudential’s Property and Casualty Division (PRUPAC) to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.

Don't be vulnerable to predators and contractors who may take advantage of a disaster situation. Please also see our Disaster Recovery Information Kit for a wealth of helpful post-disaster information including resources for home repairs and construction, filing insurance claims, applying for financial assistance, handling of hazardous debris, generator and chainsaw safety, household tips, crisis and legal counseling services, and contact information for other needed services.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) announced today that it has filed a fair housing complaint alleging discrimination based on race against a homeowner in Chesterfield County who refused to sell a house to an African-American woman.

Blacks Face Discrimination 44% of the Time in Roanoke Rental Market While Many Illegal Barriers Continue for Those with Disabilities in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg.

Find full report on our Publications Page.
For other documents from the Press Conference, click below.

Blacks Face Discrimination 60% of the time in Hampton Roads' Rental Market while Many Illegal Barriers Continue for Those with Disabilities.

• Find full report on our Publications Page.
• For other documents from the Press Conference, click link below.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc. (HOME) today released its findings of a fair housing audit conducted over the past year.  The audit, which evaluated treatment in the search for housing based on race, disability, and families with children, found that all seven cities in the Hampton Roads area had high levels of racial discrimination and barriers to access for people with disabilities.