With funding from the Prudential Foundation and NeighborWorks America, Westside Housing Organization is currently operating a program to help Westside residents build their credit scores and accomplish their financial goals.
This program consists of: a) financial capability coaching; b) rent reporting, in which we report rent payments to credit bureaus as a way to help tenants improve their credit scores; and c) down payment assistance, to help prospective home-buyers afford their first home.
We launched the financial capability program focusing on the tenants of the properties we manage, but the program is open to community members as well. We will work with clients in both English and Spanish on improving their credit scores and any kind of financial goals that they have, such as purchasing a car, going back to school, buying a home or starting a small business. Clients with severe credit issues can be referred to Community and Homeownership Empowerment Services (CHES) for credit repair. Finally, we can refer our clients to banking partners to open bank accounts, access credit-building accounts or participate in down-payment assistance programs.
If you are interested in participating in the Credit Building and Financial Capability Program, contact Westside Housing at 816-421-8048.