- Aspiring homeowners will eventually ask themselves the question, is home ownership right?

For me, that's the exact name of the event that's going on right behind me at the Ruskin Elementary School in day in Ohio where attendees are trying to figure out that question themselves.

I spoke with some of the organizers who share with me that the path to home ownership starts education.

Take a look.

We are here at the Wright Dunbar branch of Chase Bank in Dayton Mortgage loan Officer Michael Toliver shares his own experience with housing when he was a kid.

- I feel like I never really had like a place to call home.

You know, me and my mom, we didn't move around a lot, but we moved enough to where I didn't get settled in one place, - Which is why Michael Steves himself in his clients, - When I got to stay with my grandmother, she owned her condo and things like that.

But that wasn't like expressed and talked about in our house.

The fact that she owned it or owning a home and the importance of that.

So knowing what it felt, what it felt like not to have that information now gives me like incentive to like make sure I'm giving people that information.

- The is home ownership right for me.

Event hosted by the home ownership center from Dan Concor, the East End Community Services Chase Bank and more provides information on how attendees could make home ownership possible for them.

Kenya Taylor, vice president of community management for Chase Bank in Dayton shares what the event will provide.

- So we're gonna cover everything from owning a home, the mortgage process, the resources that are out there in the community and have everything here as a one stop shop.

So this is an opportunity, especially in the Twin Towers neighborhood, where we're taking individuals from leasing homes and renting homes into that next stage of home ownership.

- These events are open to everyone, but there is a special emphasis on the Twin Towers crossing neighborhood where renters are a part of a 15 year lease to own program.

Every year They rent during these 15 years, they accumulate credits to have an opportunity to own their home.

But how do banks bridge the gap from renting to home ownership?

- So what banks provide is education and opportunity.

- Banks are offering a lot of solutions in in and opportunities for potential home buyers and current homeowners also.

- And a part of home lending like I spoke about, is we do provide financing and funds as well for people to be able to leverage a big amount of money to purchase a a big asset.

- If you don't know the resource, then we're gonna find and get you connected to that resource or that service or that product.

- What are some of the other misconceptions people have about home ownership or like the path to home ownership?

- So I think the biggest one is affordability, but there's down payment assistance programs and grants out there available for people to get into homes for very low upfront costs.

But can anyone be a homeowner?

- There is always a path to home ownership if you're willing to take it, right?

Yeah.

It's not always going to be grass and davies daisies.

Maybe you have a little bit more work to do.

Maybe you have some weeds we have to cultivate first.

Anybody can own a home if you want to and you're willing to put in the work.

- And it's also about creating sustainability as Anita Smoltz, vice President of Financial Wellness at the Home Ownership Center can personally attest to.

- I had talked with a housing counselor at the Home Ownership center when I purchased back in 2005.

And so the work that they do I know is really important to helping people understand what is affordable for their budget, you know what to look for and to make sure that you're looking at sustainable home ownership.

- Anita shares how banks have the opportunity to help remedy a historic lack of equity and access in our country - Because of the history of redlining that there might not be loans that were being made in those neighborhoods.

The ability to have capital so that you have people who are investing in their properties in those low and moderate income neighborhoods are incredibly important.

- Is home ownership, right for me?

How do those events begin to remedy some of the negative effects that some banks have had, such as like, you know, with predatory lending and stuff like that?

- I think anytime that you can get people educated about finances, budget, what products are available, that's a good thing.

We need to talk more about it so that people understand what's out there and they're less susceptible to getting a bad product or our product that's not appropriate for them.

- That highlights the emphasis that Kenya and Michael were sharing earlier, that they want to leverage the presence of banks and neighborhoods to build thriving communities.

- We are here to make an impact any way we can, a positive impact in this community.

And we know Dayton, Ohio, there has been some struggles when it comes to housing, affordable housing.

So I feel this is one step in the start of a continuous series and other partnerships we'll do in the future in different various communities to make sure we're hearing your voice, your need, and addressing your concerns so we can actually make a positive impact and hopefully a trajectory in in home ownership.

Especially once we get more inventory and we know those things are coming.

But this is what we hope is the beginning of making a greater impact and helping people get into home ownership.

Here in Dayton, Ohio Game, - We dunno the according to organizers, this is just the first of many events.

The next one is going to be this upcoming summer.

To learn more about those events, you can reach out to the home ownership center from Dan County Court to figure out your pathway to home ownership from Book by Brick.

I'm HER Jr. - You, I'm not saying it's a game, I'm just saying there are rules.