New Director of HOGAR Program
Hispanic Ownership, a Growing American Reality

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the nation’s premier Hispanic youth leadership development and educational organization, announced the appointment of Anna Alvarez Boyd as its HOGAR Director.

HOGAR, Spanish for “home,” stands for Hispanic Ownership, a Growing American Reality. Since its launch in 2003, HOGAR has addressed barriers to Latino homeownership while developing new leaders to take on those challenges. With the arrival of Ms. Alvarez Boyd, CHCI looks forward to opening more doors to potential Latino home buyers.

“Ms. Alvarez Boyd’s diverse experience in government, the corporate sector and the housing industry—paired with her avid devotion to bettering the Latino community—will not only further grow Latino homeownership rates, but also fortify the program’s practical utility on a national level,” said CHCI President and CEO, Esther Aguilera.

Alvarez Boyd comes most recently from Fannie Mae Corporation, where she served as Director of Community and Multicultural Lending. There, she increased housing opportunities for minorities and developed business opportunities through national, nonprofit housing and consumer advocacy organizations and national and local realtor groups.

Also, she served as Deputy Controller of Community Affairs, Office of the Controller of the Currency (OCC) in Washington, D.C., where her responsibilities included establishing community development policy and managing outreach to banks and their community partners.  Alvarez Boyd directed a nationwide team of specialists that supported the Office’s enforcement of the Community Reinvestment Act.

“Among our goals, HOGAR will focus on tackling challenges of affordability in communities with a dense Hispanic population; maximizing education efforts on how to build credit; and targeting predatory lending to prevent foreclosures,” said Alvarez Boyd.

“To achieve this, I am eager to increase the program’s focus on leadership development. The greatest resources we can provide, as we promote an understanding of these very important issues, are young leaders committed to expanding Latino homeownership.”

“We are delighted to welcome Anna,” said Aguilera. “She is an asset to CHCI and to the entire Latino community.” 

 

About HOGAR Homeownership is the primary means by which households in the United States achieve financial security and communities achieve stability. However, while the number of flexible loan products and homeownership financial assistance programs has substantially increased, the homeownership rate for Hispanics (49 percent) continues to lag significantly behind the nation’s overall rate (69 percent). Considerable barriers still exist, preventing Hispanic families from achieving their goal of owning a home. Advocates agree that if the Hispanic “homeownership gap” is to be decreased, major initiatives must be created to target the growing and diverse Latino community. In response to these disparities, HOGAR was created. HOGAR, "Hispanic Ownership, a Growing American Reality," is a housing initiative that seeks to ensure that Latinos share equally in the American dream of homeownership. HOGAR has three complementary components: 1) a fellowship program to increase Latino leaders in the housing and financial fields; 2) community housing events that both increase financial literacy and improve consumer understanding about the mortgage process; and 3) research and policy analyses that address homeownership barriers Latinos face and the opportunities that exist for them to become homeowners. In partnership with HOGAR's dedicated sponsors, CHCI is working to achieve significant increases in Latino homeownership.