Education, grant program aims to create more Black homeowners in Madison

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A new homeowner is celebrating Tuesday, thanking an education and grant program for helping her reach the milestone.

Kelsey Glavee became the first graduate of “OWN IT: Building Black Wealth” to close on a house. The program, geared towards the Black and Brown community, is run in partnership with One City Schools and is offered to its families, staff and alumni.

“I’ve heard from a lot of people that buying a home is one of the most stressful things you can do. But with this community support, honestly, I haven’t felt stressed at all. It’s been such a blessing to have all these people surrounding me and making me feel confident through the process,” Glavee said.

Local experts are invited to cover topics on basic economics and homeownership.

“It’s a program that we’re using to combat some of the residual effects of legislation and systematic issues that blocked specifically Black and Brown people from homeownership and the transfer of wealth,” Ian Carter, a realtor and member of OWN IT’s education advisory board, said. “We’re trying to lessen that gap by educating and coming up with a monetary figure to help in the process.”

Upon completion of the courses, students can apply for a $15 thousand grant, which can go towards putting a down payment.

Glavee was also the first graduate to receive the check, according to Tiffany Malone, the program’s co-creator.

“I cried when Kelsey got her accepted offer,” Malone said. “I know how hard it is for people to get accepted offers in this market. You have to come with a lot of cash to even get an accepted offer just because that’s the way it is right now. It’s lots of demand and not a lot of supply.”

Glavee said she had planned to spend the next five years saving enough money for a down payment, but the grant helped her almost instantly purchase a home.

“It was really invaluable,” she said, describing the grant and the education she received. “I had no knowledge about the homebuying process. I didn’t know what a lender was or how to find one or how to find a realtor.”

Program organizers say the next wealth building course for One City Schools families runs this month with another application period opening in July.

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