DuPage Homeownership Center

Safe, decent, affordable housing for workers at all income levels is a key indicator of community health.  DuPage County needs the people who need affordable housing -- municipal employees, retail clerks, restaurant staff, daycare workers, teachers, nurses, entry-level police and firefighters, medical support staff and office workers, to name just a few.  All are critical to the success of the DuPage economy, yet are in danger of being priced out of the very communities they serve.   

Homeownership:  a Benchmark for a Vital Community is a broad-based community movement to insure that DuPage County offers local workers the diversity of housing choices needed to maintain a healthy, vibrant economy.  Without this diversity of choices, workers are forced to move farther and farther from their jobs in order to find appropriate housing, resulting in increased traffic congestion, tardiness, absenteeism, and recruiting and retention costs. 

The DuPage Homeownership Center, a non-profit public/private partnership, and the DuPage Housing Action Coalition, a local advocacy network, launched Homeownership:  a Benchmark for a Vital Community in 2006, bringing together over 160 builders, developers, lenders, governmental officials and other community leaders at a breakfast symposium to identify barriers to increasing and preserving the supply of affordable starter homes here in DuPage.  Work groups met throughout 2006 and developed a blueprint to

• Educate the community about the need for workforce housing;
• Advocate with local elected officials for public policies to facilitate the creation of workforce starter homes; and
• Provide examples and technical assistance to assist municipalities and developers in their efforts. 

A Steering Committee co-chaired by Erin Vaughan, Associate Vice President - Government Relations, ARAMARK, and Dave Faganel, President, R.A. Faganel Builders, is working throughout 2007 to implement this blueprint.  For more information or to join the effort, please contact Dru Bergman at (630) 260-2502 or dru@dhoc.org.

 DuPage Homeownership Center (DHOC)

DHOC is a non-profit public/private partnership created in 1991 to increase and preserve homeownership opportunities in DuPage County through education, counseling, outreach and special assistance programs.  Our services include 

Free Home Buyer Education Classes: DHOC's free, four-hour class, offered twice a month at convenient locations throughout DuPage County, gives first-time buyers all the basics to get started on the path to homeownership.  Volunteer lenders and Realtors donate their time and expertise as presenters. 

Free Counseling with Financial Literacy Training:  After completing our class, buyers who want more individual guidance can make an appointment with one of our housing counselors for one-on-one counseling.  Our counselors provide a comprehensive financial analysis and regular support as the clients work toward their goals. 

Free Annual Home Buyers Fair:  Tentatively scheduled for March 1, 2008, this major outreach event offers exhibits, workshops and information on programs and services just for first-time buyers.

Free Foreclosure Prevention:  Confidential counseling to help DuPage County homeowners in financial crisis develop realistic solutions to prevent foreclosure.

Help for Low-Income Buyers - The DuPage Homestead Program:  Homestead provides a special mortgage financing plan at reduced interest charges to help boost the buying power of low-income households to enable them to afford a starter home in DuPage.