Focus Group Findings

In 2003, with support from Fannie Mae and other national housing institutions, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) established the National Housing Initiative (NHI), a bipartisan effort to increase homeownership opportunities for Latinos across the country. NHI sponsors a two-year fellowship program designed to empower Latino housing professionals and HOGAR, a campaign that supports efforts at the local and national levels to promote and facilitate Latino homeownership.

Between February and April 2004, CHCI/NHI conducted focus groups in 11 cities to learn more about the barriers to homeownership for Latinos and to identify promising practices by nonprofits, government, and the housing industry that are working to increase homeownership for Latino consumers. With the assistance of Mosaica: The Center for Nonprofit Development and Pluralism, CHCI/NHI conducted focus groups with a total of 467 housing advocates and practitioners1, industry representatives, and Latino consumers in the following cities: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Durham, NC; Kansas City, KS; Las Cruces, NM; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; and San Juan, PR.

Participants in the different types of focus groups represented a variety of organizations and institutions. The majority of advocates in the focus groups represented nonprofit organizations, although at least one representative of a local, state, or federal government housing agency attended each focus group. The majority of industry representatives were realtors and lenders. Industry representatives who elected to attend the focus groups tended to be individuals already committed to serving the Latino market and were typically strong advocates for their Latino customers. Among consumers, approximately 70% were renters and 30% were homeowners. In all but two communities, the majority of consumers were immigrants. Since consumers were typically recruited by nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities, most participants were low to-moderate income.

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