In 2021 the Mad City Dream Homes team learned more about the initiatives of the local group - Own It. Own It’s mission is to empower, educate and guide Black families in building household wealth through education and real estate homeownership. We do this through advocacy, education, and addressing systemic racism in real estate, banking and financial industries. 

Own It offers families, staff, and alumni at One City Schools education programs and down payment assistance to use towards the purchase of a home.  

As real estate professionals we are learning more about how systemic racism is embedded in our industry and how it impacts the wealth gap. Our team is contributing our time and resources to Own It -- Ann Raschein and Samantha Haas are key contributors from our team. One of the things that we appreciate about being a part of this working group is seeing participation from so many different real estate firms. We work in a profession that by nature is competitive. However we can all collaborate on Own It initiatives and it truly feels like our community is coming together to increase homeownership among people who historically have been excluded from participating in the American Dream.  

For more information or to contribute visit ownitbbw.com.