The Affordable Housing Committee has gotten off to a great start in implementing its 2008 programming
By Angela Holloway and Kathy Wilkins
Co-Chairs, Afordable Housing Committee
The charge of the Affordable Housing Committee is to implement programs that address housing issues and track information about financing programs available to those in the $125,000 and below market. Through information sharing, education and community outreach programs, provide members with knowledge of all aspects of the affordable housing market and housing issues.
To accomplish this charge, the committee is comprised of the following six subcommittees:
- The Marketing Subcommittee is charged with promoting all of the committee's projects to the media and to CBR members. Currently, the subcommittee is working on cultivating partnerships with local media to get them onboard to help promote Super Sunday; putting together a Super Sunday promotional package for brokers and affiliates; and working on the committee's first quarterly newsletter that will debut in this issue of In Contract. The newsletter features committee events and affordable housing news.
- The Certified Affordable Housing REALTOR® (CAHR) and Education Subcommittee oversees the CAHR certification -- administrating and grading applications. The subcommittee is also looking at developing continuing education classes that can be used to help members qualify for the CAHR certification.
- The Super Sunday Open House Subcommittee is in the process of coordinating the Super Sunday Affordable Housing Open House event set for Sunday, May 4, 1-4 p.m. The committee anticipates that 350 homes priced $125,000 and below will be featured on the afternoon tour. The subcommittee has collected several prize giveaways and will be putting together an electronic packet for participants. See the insert in this issue for a copy of the registration form. Cost is $10 and homes featured will be on a first come, first served basis.
- The Homebuyer Seminars/CPS Workshops Subcommittee looks for opportunities to host homebuyer seminars/workshops in partnership with the Columbus Public Schools and other organizations. The subcommittee's first CPS/CBR Homebuyers Workshop of the year will be held at Fairmoor Elementary School on Tuesday, April 15, 6-8pm. The subcommittee also plans to host two homebuyer workshops as a tie-in to Super Sunday on April 29, 6-8pm and May 3, 10am-noon at CBR.
- The Roundtable Subcommittee is charged with selecting roundtable topics and lining up speakers. Thus far this year, the subcommittee has hosted Writing short sell offers with our very own Kathy Wilkins, ERA Orum Stair, REALTOR®; Roofing, Plumbing and Electrical Inspections with Michael Parks, Residential Building Inspector, and Chad Murth, Murth & Co.; and FHA programs and the REO REALTOR® Incentive Program with Jim Cannon, Senior FHA Programs Specialist, HUD Ohio. This month, the roundtable topic is OHFA with Dana Smith.
- Homeownership Month/REALTOR® Care Day Subcommittee is working on hosting a couple events in June to celebrate Homeownership Month and is also looking at hosting a clean-up activity for REALTOR® Care Day.
Committee members are also volunteering to work the with MAP (Material Assistance Providers) Furniture Bank -- a nonprofit organization providing free furniture and household appliances to central Ohio families living below the poverty line and struggling to furnish their homes. Fourteen to 15 families are served daily. MAP has a two-day turnaround to get furniture and appliances out to families, and exists entirely through contributions of money, furniture and time from individuals, corporations, charitable foundations and social service agency partners, churches and civil groups.
There are a number of volunteer activities available to CBR members at Map, including distributing fliers and working at the warehouse. This partnership has become a two-way street, with MAP agreeing to be one of our Super Sunday grand prize donors contributing an entertainment set for a prospective new homebuyer.
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