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National Housing Initiative Fellows Ready to Bridge Hispanic Homeownership Divide(WASHINGTON, DC – OCT. 23, 2003) – The trio left their respective homes with the goal of getting more Hispanic families nationwide into them, and it did not take long for Alejandro Becerra of Tucson, AZ, Ron Jauregui of Orange County, CA and Sonia Montero Poyo, of Newark, NJ to realize the importance of the next two years. The National Housing Initiative (NHI) fellows were introduced to the nation during a Capitol Hill press conference on September 24, 2003 officially launching CHCI’s homeownership program. The NHI is aimed at addressing a lagging Hispanic homeownership rate (48 percent, compared to 68 percent of the overall population) and helping more Latino families achieve the American dream of owning their own home. The NHI will focus on expanding the accessibility of homeownership to Latinos by employing a novel bi-partisan, multi-tiered strategy to identify and develop solutions to address the current obstacles faced by Hispanics. The effort will target 63 Congressional districts – in 11 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico – where Latinos comprise at least 25 percent of the population. The three NHI fellows will work in concert with an Advisory Committee comprised of Members of Congress, representatives of the lending and real estate industries, and advocacy organizations in order to adequately assess the needs of Latinos and implement strategies specially tailored to the varied needs of this very diverse community. “Each fellow is a seasoned and accomplished housing professional demonstrating a tremendous amount of passion for the implementation and success of the NHI,” said Peter Villegas, chair of the NHI Advisory Committee and first vice president and regional manager for Washington Mutual. “They are important because they will engineer the heart of this initiative.” Becerra came to El Paso, TX at the age of 11 from Leon, Guanajuato, MX and, as an operations specialist for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Tucson, pioneered Arizona’s Homeownership Voucher Program. He is responsible for 21 Congressional districts in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Washington. “Most of my life’s work experience has been spent rehearsing for this assignment,” said Becerra. “I believe that education, homeownership and good health are the key to our social and economic development.” Prior to NHI, Poyo served as Special Advisor for Policy and Programs to Baltimore’s Housing Commissioner. Poyo will serve districts covering California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and Texas. “I joined this effort because it is an important opportunity to raise housing on the national agenda and highlight our Latino families’ housing needs,” she said. “I am excited about continuing my commitment to low and moderate income families.” Juaregui was an inaugural member of Bank of America’s first-ever Spanish Loan Fulfillment Team, where he worked on processing and underwriting issues within its mortgage operation. He is responsible for 21 Congressional districts, all in Southern California. “For me, this initiative is a chance to experience modern day ‘Barnraisings’ en masse,” said Jauregui. “Raising expectations and hopes for a better life, setting the foundations upon which dreams and aspirations are built, and celebrating the accomplishments that arise when good people work together, hand in hand” CHCI, a non-profit, non-partisan, educational 501(c)(3) organization, provides educational programs for Hispanic college and postgraduate students. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of the U.S. Congress, non-profit leaders, and corporate executives. For more information on CHCI, visit our web site at www.chciyouth.org or call 1-800-EXCEL DC.
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