Overview:
The Chesterfield Community Council and City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin will host events that offer free services to current and aspiring homeowners.
CHATHAM — Current and prospective South Side homeowners can attend two events this month created to provide them with the resources they’ll need to succeed in today’s buyer’s market.
The Chesterfield Community Council will host the 18th Annual Greater Chatham Home Expo 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Tuley Park Field House, 501 E. 90th Pl. Admission to the event is free. You can reserve a spot here.
The Greater Chatham Home Expo, which kicks off with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony, will have three hours of free seminars and services for homeowners in the Greater Chatham community.
Aspiring homebuyers hoping to plant roots on the South Side can also learn more about local and federal initiatives while meeting current neighbors residing in the community.
Over in Bronzeville, City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and CIBC Bank, will continue their “Money Mondays, In The Community” series with a “Homebuyer Workshop” 6-7 p.m. Monday at 458 E. Pershing Road. Tickets for the workshop are free and can be reserved here.
A community lending mortgage banker will walk future homeowners through the steps of calculating costs for a home, securing money for a down payment, the importance of credit scores when applying for a mortgage and other tools to become a successful homeowner.
Homeownership rates for minorities skyrocketed nationally in 2022, with Asian and Hispanic homebuyers at an all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors.
But compared to the 51.1 percent of Hispanic homeowners, 63.3 percent of Asian homeowners and 72.3 percent of white homeowners, only 44.1 percent of Black Americans own homes, according to the NAR.
Only 40 percent of Black Chicagoans own homes, according to a 2023 report from the Chicago Community Trust. In comparison, 77 percent of white Chicagoans and 55 percent of Latinx Chicagoans are homeowners.
Events like the Greater Chatham Home Expo aim to attract a new generation of Black homebuyers while boosting investment in the community, said Eli Washington, chairman at the Chesterfield Community Council.
“We have challenges like any community, but we want people to take advantage of what’s out there,” Washington said. “We want to improve and better our community.”
Attendees at the Greater Chatham Home Expo can access home improvement services, property tax relief programs, companies specializing in lawn care maintenance and more, Washington said. Older neighbors can explore senior assistance programs that help maintain housing.
Neighborhood Housing Services Chicago, a company that helps families purchase and preserve their homes, will lead a “Cutting Costs of Home Ownership” seminar. Attorney Ted London of Ted London & Associates will host an “Easy Estate Planning” seminar to help homeowners prepare for the future.
There are a myriad of resources offered by the city, state and local groups like the Chicago Bungalow Association that help homeowners attain and maintain their homes, Washington said.
The Chesterfield Community Council has been here to help point them in the right direction since their first expo event 18 years ago.
“We do what we can to help our community and maintain its culture,” Washington said. “When we do events like this and engage the public, that helps let the general public know that there are groups out there that care about them.”
Attendees at Saturday’s event can enter a raffle to win a 40-inch television and other prizes, Washington said.
But mostly, people should attend the expo to see what Greater Greater Chatham is all about, Washington said.
“We want Chesterfield and Chatham to be a destination again,” Washington said. “Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was he place to be. We’re trying to bring that back.”
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