Working together to raise Hispanic home ownership

Nevada Rural Housing Authority and Chicanos Por La Causa are working together to bring home ownership to Nevada’s Hispanic community.

NRHA’s Home at Last program has been holding home ownership seminars in Spanish since April and will be holding two more before the end of the year, including one at the NRHA office in Carson City on Dec. 3.

The program provides qualified applicants grant money of up to 5 percent of a mortgage loan to pay for down payments and closing costs.

The seminars are conducted by Home at Last staff along with a lender and real estate agent to provide information on the home buying process.

The seminars have helped more than 50 families so far, some of which have gone onto get a mortgage, said Joel Panduro, a Home at Last specialist in Las Vegas.

Panduro said the seminar also helps dispel some of the misconceptions about home buying, including it requires perfect credit and a 20 percent down payment.

The Carson City seminar on Dec. 3 starts at 10 a.m. in the NHRA office at 3695 Desatoya Dr. and will include a representative from Guild Mortgage Co.

CPLC is a Phoenix-based community development organization that provides an array of services, including housing, education, health services and workforce development.

CPLC has two staff working in NRHA’s Carson City office and the two organizations have been working together on other projects.

NRHA’s recently sold 7 acres in Dayton to CPLC, which will build 44 detached and attached single-family houses for moderate income working families.