Categories: Chicago

Choose to Own helping Chicagoans to buy their own homes

It is the dream of every Chicagoans to own his/her own home. Niesha Chism is one of those Chicagoans who always dreamed to have their own home in Chicago. But she faced a lot of troubles in terms of finance. She did not even know when and how her dream would come true.

She joined a voucher program of the Chicago Housing Authority five years back and she got a home on rent. Government provided her some assistance to stay under a roof by paying some rent for it. Chism said, “I have a bachelor’s degree, I have done MBA, and I also have done my Master’s degree in Science and Finance but I still had to rely on such a program”. She added, “Even degrees and jobs are unable to move people, like me, away from such programs”.

A situation came when her financial condition pushed her towards the disqualification for a voucher. It was the time when ‘Choose to Own’ came to help her. Eugene Jones Jr., CEO of Choose to Own, said, “We developed this program a few years back in order to help the voucher holders to acquire their own home”.

The program has helped almost 600 people of Chicago to buy their own home. Chism is one of them who bought her house next to her childhood home. Niesha Chism’s father said, “I am quite proud of my daughter as she has her own home. I always told her to have her own things and get her own things in life”. In the current year, the program has already helped 30 people to get their own home and the count is on.

Niesha Chism said, “This house has a lot of sentimental values attached with me”. It is really a great thing and a great cause to help the voucher holders to acquire a home. It will help to end the generation renting and other housing issues from the society. There are hundreds of people who dreamed to have their own home like Niesha. This program will help them to watch their dream come true.

Shawn Genzone

Senior writer at the Chicago Morning Star

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