City of Birmingham, Local Real Estate Pros Partner to Encourage Homeownership

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson | For The Birmingham Times The City of Birmingham will partner with area real estate professionals on a down payment assistance program to create more opportunities for African Americans who want to own homes. The council voted unanimously to collaborate with the Birmingham Realtist Association on the program. Realtists are African American real estate professionals part of the larger National Association of Real Estate Brokers, or NAREB, which has chapters all over the country. NAREB’s mission is to encourage home ownership among more African Americans nationwide by working through its local chapters. “We generally have a really deep footprint in the community, but being able to partner with the city on things like this allows us to really be able to bridge the gap and bring the residents and the city together to create a common goal,” said Justin Williams, President of the Birmingham Realtist Association. Council President Darrell O’Quinn said the partnership allows the city to help identify potential homeowners. “I’m glad that we have that group locally to work with and help us overcome some of our own legacy,” he said. “Many of our communities are still segregated and that’s a portion of our past...