At Operation HOPE, we know how important affordable housing can be. We have held clients’ hands as they walked from homelessness to renting to owning—achieving not only stability in their lives but accomplishing the ultimate American Dream. This trajectory is usually not an individual path; it takes a village of resources including agents, banks, and builders. The collective village then benefits from the homeowners, leading to economic uplift of whole communities.
The positive outcomes of affordable housing
With increased access to affordable housing, benefits include better physical and mental health, financial stability, better school and development outcomes for children, and more stable neighborhoods. Perhaps the most intriguing benefit in today’s financial landscape is to our economy—to the tune of adding nearly $2 trillion to GDP, according to McKinsey’s Institute for Economic Mobility.
In their 2025 Investing in Housing report, investing in the housing shortage “and economic activity in housing-related sectors (for example, construction) and related supply chains” would “create nearly two million new jobs across sectors—gains that would materialize gradually over the next ten years.” Not only could the future provide more hope for homeownership, it could ensure a more stable economy that benefits all
Big picture growth starts with the individual
With Operation HOPE’s Homeownership program, we help potential homeowners overcome common barriers. Examples include increasing credit scores, awareness of financial assistance programs, as well as debt management and savings strategies. Through one-on-one financial coaching, tools, and workshops, we tailor our support to meet the diverse needs of our clients.
Leanne is a great example of many clients who go to the bank thinking they are mortgage-ready but are denied due to their credit report. Her Financial Wellbeing Coach, Lester Watt, encouraged her to participate in the organization’s Credit and Money Management and Homeownership programs, where he worked with her to put this newfound knowledge of credit-building into practice.
Together, they completed a worksheet that detailed her income and expenses in order to create a budget. At the same time, they sought to eliminate her debt in a way that felt manageable. For Leanne, that was paying off the credit cards with the lowest balance first, and then working her way up to tackling debt on the higher balance cards. Over 13 months of working with Lester, she saw her credit score rise by 121 points.
Today, Leanne can speak to the importance of homeownership in her daily life, her children’s lives, and her community: “When you are financially stable, you have a greater appreciation for what you have. Look, I have a roof over my head, the lights are on, most of my needs are met so I like to see who I can take out to dinner. I may see someone who needs gas money or something and I’m in a position where I can do it.” She explained that her new money mindset has led to less purchases that don’t bring her joy. “Slowing down and creating an atmosphere that makes you value home-cooked meals—it plays so much a part in daily living. It changed my life and my children’s too.”
Strategic partnerships, like ours with Clayton, make the path more accessible
Leanne is just one of more than 14,000 individuals who have benefited from HOPE’s Homeownership program. Since 2022, when Operation HOPE first began its partnership with single-family home builder, Clayton, the program has equipped clients with the education and financial resources needed to achieve their dream of owning a home. Importantly, working with Clayton allowed us to help over 300 people achieve homeownership in 2024 alone. This work doesn’t end after the home is purchased—our Financial Wellbeing coaches ensure their clients can sustain that major step by saving for home repairs and updates, budgeting for mortgage payments, and learning how to prepare financially for a major disaster.
Clayton’s partnership helps us continue the work we’ve been doing and has empowered Operation HOPE to introduce new digital offerings of self-guided homeownership education, making financial literacy instantly available to more people. Digital access, like our HOPE in Hand app, has been crucial to reach people across the nation, no matter where they live or where they are in their journey toward financial freedom.
As we continue our valued partnership with Clayton, we look toward making homeownership a reality for more families across the country, at any financial starting point. Having more attainable options, as celebrated in Housing America Month, is the first step—then Operation HOPE walks alongside them the rest of the way.
If you are looking to start this journey, go to OperationHope.org to sign up with a coach or register for our workshops.