Stephanie Murphy, SPPA alum and Executive Director of the Neighborhood Finance Corporation (NFC), was recently quoted in the Cedar Rapids Gazette in an article about equitable home ownership. NFC supports housing access and equity in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids regions. With support from numerous local governments, including the cities of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, banks and other financial institutions, and help from the American Rescue Plan Act, NFC is able to offer down payment assistance, forgivable closing cost assistance, and forgivable rehabilitation loans through the Journey to Homeownership program for minorities.

The program came about through NFC’s Race, Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee. Journey to Homeownership “acknowledges that when people face obstacles such as lacking generational wealth, access to credit or equal educational and employment opportunities, they can’t achieve the same outcomes. Minority populations disproportionately grapple with these systemic barriers.” Read more about NFC’s programs and the story of two participants in the Gazette article titled, “As Neighborhood Finance Corp. grows, organization works to help more people of color own homes.”

We are proud to count Stephanie among our alumni!