June is National Homeownership Month
JUNE IS NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH – Mayor Henry Banks, center, signs a proclamation recognizing June as National Homeownership Month. From left are Earl Dixon, county supervisor, District 1; Alice Moreland of Hallmark Realty; Mayor Banks; Janet Smith, area specialist with Rural Development; and Kenneth Ray Powell, county supervisor, District 4. For more information about Rural Development’s programs for low, very low and moderate income loans, call Smith at Rural Development, 601-894-1118, ex
Local elected officials and realtors joined Rural Development in celebrating June as National Homeownership Month.
Mayor Henry Banks signed a proclamation to that effect last week which reads in part:
“Homeownership has been a key feature of our way of life since America’s earliest days. Important qualities of character develop with the ownership of a home, such as responsibility, self-reliance, long-term planning, thrift, and individuality. The sense of pride and security that come with owning a home are hallmarks of our character as people.”
The proclamation continues, “It has been a longstanding national policy, predating President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Homestead Act, to encourage Americans to own a home. Homeownership benefits individual families by helping them build economic security and it fosters healthy, vibrant communities. Homeownership provides material security and allows families to build wealth. A home is the largest financial investment most American families will ever make, as it allows families to build financial security as the equity in the home increases. Moreover, a home is a tangible asset that provides a family with borrowing power to finance important needs, such as educating children…
“Homeowners work to keep up the value of their investment, which translates into a greater concern for neighborhoods and surrounding communities. A family that owns its home is more likely to upgrade their property, to take pride in their neighborhood, and become more interested in the well-being of their community. By increasing the ranks of homeowners, communities not only enjoy increased stability but also benefit from a new spirit of revitalization…
“The United States is fortunate to have become a nation composed primarily of homeowners. Yet homeownership opportunities are not available to everyone to the same extent. While minority homeownership rates have increased, Hispanics and African-Americans still lag significantly behind the overall national homeownership rate…
“The federal government is working to ensure that homeownership opportunities are equally available to all Americans, through new initiatives that make down payment capital available to low-income homebuyers, and through vigorous enforcement of fair housing laws and all anti-discrimination statutes.
“Now therefore, be it resolved that I, Mayor Henry C. Banks Sr., hereby proclaim June as Homeownership Month in Hazlehurst, Mississippi and call on all citizens to recognize the importance of realizing the dream of homeownership.”
Rural Development offers programs with 100% financing for low, very low and moderate income families. For more information call Janet Smith, area specialist, at 601-894-1118, extension 4.
