Chaffee Housing Trust empowers low-income residents to achieve homeownership through personalized financial counseling, mortgage education, and partnerships that remove barriers like down payments and private mortgage insurance to help make safe, affordable housing attainable for working families across the community.

CAR Foundation support (2025) strengthened Chaffee Housing Trust’s Homeownership Program, expanding access to education, counseling, and outreach that help local residents achieve sustainable homeownership. This investment enhanced the organization’s ability to connect with prospective buyers through expanded communications, including homeowner stories, community open houses, increased digital engagement, and streamlined scheduling tools that improved access to services.

Through this support, Chaffee Housing Trust’s Homeownership Program Director served 85 clients in 2025, helping eight households become homeowners. Comprehensive services included credit repair, financial counseling, mortgage application assistance, pre-purchase counseling, closing support, and post-purchase coaching, all available in both English and Spanish. Program evaluations demonstrated strong outcomes, with 92 percent of homeowners reporting their income was sufficient to cover housing expenses and 92 percent expressing confidence in reaching out to Chaffee Housing Trust for ongoing guidance and support.

CAR Foundation funding helped create lasting financial stability for local families. To date, participating homeowners have built more than $368,000 in home equity while avoiding an estimated $1.6 million in rental costs. Beyond financial benefits, homeowners reported greater security, independence, peace of mind, and improved well-being. By investing in education, counseling, and pathways to ownership, the Foundation helped transform housing from a source of uncertainty into a foundation for long-term stability and opportunity.