BRIDGING THE LATINO HOMEOWNERSHIP DIVIDE
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Expands National Housing Initiative

2006 HOGAR Fellowship Program
Call for Applicants 

Washington, DC – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan educational organization, is seeking talented professionals in the areas of finance, marketing, real estate or other related housing field to participate in their 2006 HOGAR Fellowship Program in Washington, D.C.  HOGAR, the Spanish word for home, stands for Hispanic Ownership, a Growing American Reality.  HOGAR is CHCI’s national housing initiative first launched in September 2003 to ensure that Latinos share equally in the American dream of homeownership.  It seeks to increase the number of Latino leaders in the housing field, address barriers to Latino homeownership, and bring together local and national leaders in the housing and financial industries to assist with these efforts. 

Esther Aguilera, President and CEO, CHCI stated, “The fellowship is the cornerstone of CHCI’s comprehensive HOGAR initiative.  We had tremendous success with our first group of HOGAR fellows and look to continue our effort to promote Latino leadership in housing and related fields.” 

 “There is simply no other experience that can measure up to the opportunity that an HOGAR Fellowship offers.  To those wishing to become housing industry leaders while crafting systemic changes that will eventually result in increased Latino homeownership, the HOGAR Fellowship is the perfect choice.  If you have ever worked within the industry and had ideas for improving the way the Latino community could be served, CHCI is the place for you,” states Ron Jauregui, a 2003 – 2005 HOGAR Senior Fellow. 

The yearlong fellowship (January 4 to December 22, 2006) includes a six-month placement with CHCI organizing HOGAR community housing events and researching policy issues impacting Latino homeownership.  The second six-month placement is with a major industry-related organization in the government, non-profit, and for profit sectors, working on opportunities for Latinos to become homeowners.  Throughout the year, Fellows will also attend national housing conferences, meet with industry leaders, and participate in leadership development training. 

“A lot of work still needs to be done to close the significant gap between Latino homeowners and the rest of the general population. This is why it is so important that the key players within the mortgage industry support all efforts to find the right strategies and solutions to extend homeownership to all Hispanics. The HOGAR Fellowship Program is an integral part of this collective effort, in which the fellows play a vital role in fostering positive changes that will help more U.S. Latinos achieve the American Dream,” said Mercy Jimenez, Senior Vice President for Single Family Mortgage Business of the Fannie Mae’s National Business Center.   

Over the last five years, the number of flexible loan products and homeownership financial assistance programs has substantially increased.  The homeownership rate for Hispanics (49.7%) however, continues to lag significantly behind the nation’s overall rate (69.1%). To bridge this divide, CHCI and its corporate partners launched HOGAR.  Become part of an important initiative, and apply to become an HOGAR Fellow. 

We urge you to include the Call for Applications in your newsletter or publication as a public service announcement (see attachment).  For an application, please call our office at (202) 543-1771 or visit our website at www.chci.org.  Application deadline is August 1, 2005. 

CHCI, a non-profit and non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, provides educational programs for Hispanic college and postgraduate students.  The CHCI board of directors is comprised of Hispanic members of Congress, non-profit leaders, and corporate executives.  For more information on CHCI, call 1-800-EXCEL DC or visit www.chci.org. 

###

Media Room
Current Press Releases
Archived Press Releases
CHCI News
CHCI eNews
About CHCI
CHCI In The News

Question?
If you have a media related question, please contact CHCI at 202-543-1771