Menu
Menu
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS
sustainable
“Green lending and building has become a big priority for Homewise because it fits within our mission. We’re here to help people get ahead, we want to help people improve their long term financial well-being. If you can reduce your energy cost, that’s good for the family, but it’s also good for the planet. We need to do this.”
– Mike Loftin, CEO
AFFORDABLE HOUSING is about providing clients with the knowledge, resources, and access to stable financing and low down payment options needed to become successful homeowners.
Our impact numbers reflect our deep commitment to making housing affordable for all New Mexicans:
* Savings: for clients who started with less than $5,000 in savings; Credit Score: for clients who started with a score under 640;
Debt: for clients who started with 10% or more debt ratio; Equity: as of 3/31/24 per homebuyer who purchased in 2018.
of clients working with a Homewise advisor are low- or
moderate-income
clients worked with a Homewise advisor and became
financially prepared to buy a home
free in-person classes offered in English and Spanish
(in addition to our online classes that can be taken
anytime)
distressed properties in ABQ were purchased by Homewise, completely renovated, and sold to modest-income home buyers
clients worked with a Homewise Realtor® to purchase a home that fit their budget and lifestyle
clients worked with a Homewise Realtor® to sell their home, of which 10 (or 40%) were sold to a Homewise
buyer
total amount of mortgage loans serviced by Homewise
of our clients paid their mortgage loan on time as of
3/31/24, a significantly higher rate than the national
average
total amount of solar, home improvement and refi-
nance loans
total amount of commercial loans that allowed small
businesses and nonprofits to own their space rather
than lease
people (roughly) stopped by our table at the June-
teenth event in ABQ and learned about our efforts to narrow the racial wealth gap
clients working toward home purchase as a result of
two classes held at San Ildefonso Housing Authority
(HUD 184 program)
strategic events attended (8.5 per month on average) to reach the people who would most likely benefit from our services
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS critical to ensuring that the next generation of New Mexicans can build equity, feel fully vested in the place they call home, and help create a community that is vibrant and sustainable for all members.
Fernando, an environmental scientist and artist, feels that growing up in Santa Fe was a magical experience. His parents are immigrants who worked hard to give him a better life, and are now his biggest source of inspiration for helping others and actively engaging in his community. After graduating from UC Berkeley, he came home to start his career and pursue his dream of owning a home. He fell in love with the live/work units at El Camino Crossing, a Homewise Homes ® community located in the heart of Santa Fe. Now, right downstairs from his living
space, Fernando has his own screen printing shop where he creates t-shirts for local organizations and sports teams. “Owning a home is a whole other avenue to explore yourself and what you want your life to look like,” he shared. “It’s one of the most empowering things you can have in your whole life.” With his work, artistic pursuits, volunteer endeavors, and mentoring youth on the importance of education, his life is looking pretty amazing so far.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS about providing the necessary funding that will give low- and moderate-income clients the boost they need to overcome the challenging socio-economic barriers they face and become homeowners. To this end, Homewise is constantly building relationships and forging strategic partnerships in its mission-driven pursuit to make buying and maintaining a home more affordable.
Homewise is working with the City of Albuquerque in deploying the Neighborhood Opportunity Grants Home Rehabilitation program to provide grant assistance to eligible low- and moderate-income families for minor to major home repairs.
Eligible repairs may include heating/mechanical systems, plumbing systems, roofs, doors, windows, stucco/siding, electrical systems, and other principal fixtures and standard components where those systems are severely deteriorated or failing, or in order to bring those systems up to current building codes and standards.
“We believe it is our responsibility to grapple with challenges and find innovative solutions rather than force clients to clear unnecessarily tough hurdles to find financial success.”
– Mike Loftin, Homewise CEO
Two of the most significant barriers to homeownership for moderate-income households are low credit scores and lack of savings for a down payment. Our Credit Building Savings Program, generously funded through a grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co., will help break down these barriers so that individuals and families are able to purchase homes and build generational wealth.
A history of housing discrimination has made it even more difficult for African Americans to attain homeownership, contributing to the racial wealth gap. To address this disparity, we have partnered with JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and the Minister’s Fellowship of Albuquerque & Vicinity to craft the program and help Native American and African American communities increase savings and build credit to overcome barriers to homeownership.
“We built, and continue to build, our homeownership model around the needs of our diverse community,” said Homewise CEO Mike Loftin. “We believe it is our responsibility to grapple with challenges and find innovative solutions rather than force clients to clear unnecessarily tough hurdles to find financial success. This generous grant is a critical avenue for Homewise to explore new ways to increase the homeownership rate for underserved communities, and will help bridge the racial homeownership gap in New Mexico.”
Qualified borrowers will take out a $1,000 ‘matched-savings’ loan for a one-year term. We will report monthly payments as an installment loan. Once paid off, borrowers will have two options:
providing santa fe public school teachers the boost they need to become homeowners and live where they work
“We feel so fortunate. The
down payment assistance
made owning a home in
Santa Fe affordable for us.”
– Cassandra, Homewise client and
teacher at Capital High School
Cassandra and Richard were able to purchase their first home with help from the Jing Lyman Educator Fund. READ their inspiring story
Santa Fe has always been home for Cassandra, a special education math teacher at Capital High School, and her husband Richard. Both were born and raised here, and they have cultivated deep community ties over the years through their jobs, their volunteer work, and other activities. Last fall, the couple was able to purchase their first home with help from the Jing Lyman Educator Fund.
The fund provides down payment assistance of up to $40,000 to qualifying educators.
“With median home prices above $600,000, many teachers can’t afford to live in the same town where they work,” said Mike Loftin, Homewise CEO. “This program is providing teachers with access to homeownership in Santa Fe, and will enable them to benefit from greater housing stability and the opportunity to build wealth.”
The fund was created in November of 2021 with a $400k contribution from an anonymous donor to establish the Jing Lyman Educator Fund. After finding the results from the initial endowment to be highly impactful, the donor then contributed an additional $400k in 2023.
Jing Lyman, the educator for whom the fund is named, was often referred to as the first lady of Stanford University from 1970 to 1980 and was instrumental in founding the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford. She was a fierce advocate for affordable housing, serving on the board of the national housing organization, Enterprise Foundation (now Enterprise Community Partners).
“I’ve been an educator in Santa Fe for seven years,” shared Emily, a fund recipient. “I’ve taught 14 different classes at a high school level, most in STEM-related topics but also English for newcomer students. I love my work but, for many educators, buying a home is often just a distant dream. I wouldn’t have been able to afford buying my own home in Santa Fe for a long time without the expert guidance from my Homewise Realtor® Gloria and the down payment assistance I received from your generous donor.”
Homewise is deeply grateful to our donor for the ability to offer affordable homeownership opportunities to educators in Santa Fe who work hard to engage young minds, encourage a path to success through education, and are essential to building a strong, healthy community.
homeowner with green thumb thrilled
to transition to green energy
Over the past 15 years Larrea, who lives in a tucked away corner of northeast Albuquerque, has been happily creating a verdant landscape around her home. Numerous humming bird feeders adorn her front porch, which overlooks fruit trees, flowers, and greenery of all manner anchored by a beautiful rock sculpture fountain. Everything is nurtured by the organic compost that she makes herself. And now, in addition to the chickens, ducks, geese, and peacocks that populate her large and bustling back yard, she has added something new and exciting: an impressive array of 23 solar panels.
“I’ve wanted to do this for years,” says Larrea, but she was not able to get the financing until she came to Homewise. In recent years, Homewise has developed a solar loan program with terms that are more flexible than traditional lenders to help New Mexicans of all income levels access clean, renewable energy. “It just makes sense,” noted Johanna Gilligan, Homewise Chief External Affairs Officer, “in a place where we have such a natural abundance of sunshine, to make it easy and affordable for people to reduce their carbon footprint by going solar.”
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS dependent on a cultural understanding that all members—including teachers, healthcare workers, service industry workers, and others—should have the opportunity to achieve financial well being through homeownership. Our Community Development efforts focus on strengthening neighborhoods by: 1) providing access to affordable homes and business spaces, and to critical resources such as daycare and nonprofit services, and 2) bringing people together to engage and participate in conversations that lead to more vibrant, sustainable communities.
Speaker Series and Fellowship Program Educate Santa Feans on Housing Issues with the Aim to Create Advocates for Change
“our values can’t stop where our property lines begin”
Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted and Poverty by America
Over 550 people attended the series, and of those who responded to a poll, more than 94% said their perspectives on affordability and sustainability shifted as a result of their learnings.
In 2023, Homewise launched the Livability in the Land of Enchantment Speaker Series, a community education program that brings local and national speakers to venues across Santa Fe to help residents learn how housing markets become unaffordable and ways to manage development patterns to increase affordability, sustainability, and livability.
In the face of an unprecedented housing affordability crisis and following a series of contentious land use battles over proposed affordable housing projects, many in the pro-affordable housing community knew it was time to go on the offense. Homewise, working with City Councilors Cassutt and Romero-Wirth, organized a coalition of partners to design the Livability Series in order to raise the level of dialogue about affordable housing, empowering both residents and public officials to support good land use policies.
The series began with Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted and Poverty by America, and concluded with Bill McKibben, noted environmentalist and author. Over 550 people attended the series, and of those who responded to a poll, more than 94% said their perspectives on affordability and sustainability shifted as a result of their learnings. The 2024 series launched again in May and will run through October.
Alongside the series, Homewise hosts the Livable Santa Fe Fellowship program designed for those interested in building their knowledge and skills to work on these issues. In 2023, thirty fellows graduated from the program. This year, fifty fellows are participating in one of two cohorts: Affordable Housing and Sustainable Urban Growth.
“I had been very concerned about housing and sustainability in Santa Fe for a long time, but I didn’t know what I could do about it,” shared Dianna Woods, one of the 2023 fellows. “After my experience with the Livability Fellowship, the speakers, the literature, and the trainings, I understand what the obstacles are, and what effective steps I can take to promote positive change.” Two other 2023 fellows have taken full-time jobs in the Santa Fe affordable housing arena, and more than half of the fellows were actively involved in our efforts to get the contentious ‘Mansion Tax’ legislation passed to support affordable housing measures in Santa Fe.
Livability programming also features an Officials Cohort which provides four councilors and four planning commissioners with the opportunity to discuss the local application of each talk with the speaker and with one another.
Homewise is thrilled that this work is continuing to strengthen the pro-affordable housing coalition.
Silvia Vasquez (left) and Dayna Vasquez, co-founders of Koala Children’s
Academy, speak at the Grand Opening event in the fall of 2023.
of the children attending the academy are from modest-income families who are covered by state subsidy.
In 2020, Homewise conducted a survey in Barelas, a historic neighborhood just south of ABQ’s downtown area, to better understand residents’ wants, needs, and experiences. Unsurprisingly, childcare access was top of mind. Homewise soon partnered with Silvia Vasquez and her daughter-in-law Dayna Vasquez to create the Koala Children’s Academy, a bilingual early learning center located at a formerly vacant property on 2nd and Hazeldine.
Now, fifty families drop off their children, ages six weeks to five years, at the academy where they engage in multicultural activities, eat home-cooked meals, and benefit from Silvia’s impressive background in early childhood education, her commitment to excellence, and boundless passion for her chosen field.
Silvia and Dayna have ensured that their high-quality childcare services are accessible to all families, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds. As a result, 85% of the children attending the academy are from modest-income families who are covered by state subsidy.
Koala’s partnership with Homewise has been central to its success in opening a new center. Homewise supported a grant application to the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, which resulted in a generous $600,000 award covering essential expenses such as six months of staff salaries, furniture, and a playground. This operational and capital support enabled Koala to focus on staffing and program quality during its opening months.
In June 2024, Koala was awarded a grant for the New Mexico PreK (NM PreK) program less than a year after opening. NM PreK is a free program during the school year that delivers high-quality education and focuses on providing a fun, rewarding, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for children ages three and four. The program is the most significant financial stabilizing source of income for child care and education programs.
Through its tireless dedication to excellence, inclusivity, and innovation, Koala Children’s Academy is an inspiring example of the transformative power of early childhood education to strengthen communities and neighborhoods.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS having enough homes to meet the needs of all members of our communities who wish to own a home of their own. Homewise builds new communities, develops infill projects, and renovates abandoned properties, with an unprecedented percentage of homes sold as deeply affordable to modest-income individuals and families. All of our homes are quality-built with energy-efficient features throughout to increase their sustainability and affordability long after the purchase.
An Affordable Housing Solution for
Santa Fe’s popular railyard district
Casa Pacifica is a five-unit infill project located in the Railyard District of Santa Fe. In 2019, Homewise purchased the building—previously an Airbnb rental property—to convert into condos that would be sold to our clients, thereby creating more affordable homeownership opportunities in one of Santa Fe’s most desirable neighborhoods.
Four of the five units at Casa Pacifica were made deeply affordable and sold to households with moderate incomes ranging from 50% to 120% of the Santa Fe median income.
The units feature white quartz countertops, low-E double-pane windows, and several new energy-efficient appliances. Homeowners will have a small, private courtyard as well as piñon trees growing in the shared courtyard.
This project is proof that we can still find ways to create affordable housing solutions in high-cost areas of Santa Fe where residents will benefit from exceptional access to restaurants, entertainment, parks, schools, jobs and recreation.
With 56 new homes slated for construction, 40% of which are reserved for modest-income buyers, Miraflores caters to a diverse range of people who are looking to improve their financial well being and put down roots in their chosen community.
The energy-efficient features throughout our Miraflores homes meet the rigorous standards for certification by the Build Green NM program. Standard home features include:
• Stainless steel, energy-efficient appliances
• Granite kitchen countertops
• Low-E vinyl windows
• Tankless water heater
• Low maintenance synthetic stucco
• Front yard landscaping with drip irrigation
• Side and backyard fencing for privacy
Miraflores, our most recent Homewise community located in south Santa Fe near SWAN Park, embodies the quintessential American dream of homeownership, complete with single-family homes, spacious private backyards, and a family-friendly environment. With 56 new homes slated for construction, 40% of which are reserved for modest-income buyers at deeply affordable prices, Miraflores caters to a diverse range of people who are looking to improve their financial well-being and put down roots in their chosen community.
Nine floor plans are available at Miraflores; while most floor plans are 3- or 4-bedrooms, there will also be a limited number of 1- and 2-bedroom homes for those who qualify.
Residents of the community will enjoy an onsite native plant garden, a dedicated open space area with shaded seating, and convenient access to the Tierra Contenta trail network which takes you to the southside library and to downtown Santa Fe via the River Trail.
The community is designed to prioritize safety and promote a healthy lifestyle for residents in various ways. The neighborhood layout and design incorporate elements aimed at reducing traffic speeds and ensuring pedestrian safety, such as traffic calming measures, well-defined sidewalks, and designated crosswalks to encourage walking, bicycling and other physical activity.
By prioritizing pedestrian-friendly design, creating green spaces, and fostering a sense of community, Miraflores is positioned to become a flourishing neighborhood providing homeownership opportunities that are affordable, sustainable, and conducive to healthy, happy individuals and families.
“Our renovations go beyond just the aesthetics; we focus on energy efficiency, durability, and health-conscious options so that our homes are both great to look at and great to live in.”
– Carl Davis, Homewise Real Estate Development Construction Manager
For the past six years, Homewise has engaged in neighborhood revitalization through a home acquisition and rehabilitation program to reduce vacant home inventory, stabilize home values, and turn disinvested properties into affordable homeownership opportunities for modest-income individuals and families.
The program is a partnership with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority’s Restoring Our Communities program, and involves the purchase of abandoned properties in need of extensive rehabilitation and problem properties that create neighborhood distress. Homewise then undertakes a complete renovation that includes energy-efficient upgrades. The beautifully restored homes are then sold to modest-income clients, who often receive down payment assistance to help make the purchase more affordable.
Our revitalization efforts continue to be focused on the historic Barelas and South Broadway neighborhoods in Albuquerque where an increased number of first-time homeowners are putting down roots and helping to create a stronger community.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS about thoughtfully crafting and enacting housing policies that work for everyone, policies that provide equitable solutions to ensure all members of a community can thrive, build wealth and enjoy financial stability.
Last November, Santa Feans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the transfer tax on high-end real estate—familiarly known as the ‘Mansion Tax’—to support affordable housing measures in their city.
Rapidly escalating housing costs are driving an exodus of low- and moderate-income families from Santa Fe, changing the city’s very nature and undermining quality of life for all residents. The City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF), which supports the creation, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable housing, is currently underfunded to meet the city’s tremendous and growing need for affordable units. A 3 percent real estate excise tax imposed on the portion of the sale of residential property valued above $1 million and earmarked for the AHTF is an equitable way to generate the revenue needed to address Santa Fe’s worsening housing crisis, where the price of a home has doubled since 2016, while wages have grown at the much more modest annual rate of 1.3 percent.
The excise tax will generate roughly $6 million per year for the AHTF without further burdening the many families already struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly unaffordable city, and ensure that Santa Fe remains a diverse, livable, and welcoming community for all. The AHTF supports down payment assistance, home repair, rental assistance, and other initiatives related to the preservation, construction, or creation of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Santa Fe residents.
Homewise worked closely with the United for Affordable Housing campaign to inform voters of this critical measure to provide permanent funding for the AHTF, galvanizing the community to take action. “We don’t want to lose the local community that has lived here all their lives, or for generations,” Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber told ABC News, “and to suddenly see that diversity give way to only higher-income people.”
Homewise thanks our generous donors, both past and present, who over the years have supported our mission to help create successful homeowners and strengthen neighborhoods so that individuals and families can improve their long-term financial well being and quality of life.
Ally Bank
American Express National Bank
Bank of Albuquerque
Bank of America
BMO
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Guadalupe Credit Union
JPMorganChase
Kirtland Federal Credit Union
New Mexico Bank & Trust
New Mexico Mutual
Nusenda Credit Union
PNC
Rio Grande Credit Union
Sandia Area Federal Credit Union
Scale Bank
Self-Help Credit Union
Sunflower Bank/ First National 1870
Texas Capital Bank
UBS Bank USA
United Business Bank
US Eagle Federal Credit Union
WaFd Bank
Wells Fargo
Anonymous
Albuquerque Community
Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Anchorum St. Vincent
Bank of America Charitable
Foundation
Daniels Fund
Illinois No 3 Foundation
Kalliopeia Foundation
The Kuhn Foundation
Los Alamos National
Laboratory Foundation
McCune Charitable Foundation
NBH Charitable Foundation
Nusenda Foundation
PNM Resources Foundation
Erich and Hannah Sachs
Foundation
Santa Fe Community Foundation
Thornburg Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
CHRISTUS Health Services
CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional
Medical Center
City of Albuquerque
City of Rio Rancho
City of Santa Fe Office of
Affordable Housing
CDFI Fund, U.S. Treasury
Clearinghouse CDFI
Contrast, Inc.
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Friends of Architecture Santa Fe
Frontwood Strategies
2540 Group
Grow America
Habitat for Humanity
Housing Partnership Network
Los Alamos National Laboratory
National Fair Housing Alliance
Inclusive Communities Fund
NeighborWorks America
NeighborWorks Capital
New Mexico Gas Co./Emera
New Mexico Mortgage Finance
Authority
New Mexico Small Business
Investment Corporation
Opportunity Finance Network
Raza Development Fund
Sandia National Laboratories
Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
Santa Fe Housing Action Coalition
SITES Southwest
ULI New Mexico
UnidosUS Premio Home Grant
U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Community
Planning and Development
The Adrian Dominican Sisters
The Domestic and Foreign
Missionary
Society of the Protestant
Episcopal Church
Mercy Investment Services
Religious Communities Impact
Fund
Seton Enablement Fund
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate
Word
Nickolas Adams
Darcy Arcand
Anonymous
Avalon Trust
Avalon Trust clients
Balanced Rock clients
Joel Frederick Barber
Anne Beckett
Erika and Glenn Campos
Jill and Paul Cook
Susan and Conrad De Jong Fund
Lori and David Delgado
Anne Messbarger-Eguia
Cliff Feigenbaum
Kristina Flanagan
Goulston & Storrs clients
Naomi and Robb Hirsch
Just Wealth clients
Michael Kelly
Joseph Kunkel
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Ann Lockhart
Viola Lujan
Mike and Dee Maloof Family Fund
Genevieve and A. Paul Mitchell
Mitchell Family Trust
Agnes Noonan
Nia Impact Capital clients
Linda Ohmans and Matthew Witt
Josue Olivares
Laura M. Orchard
Karen E. Orso
Cynthia Piatt
Stacy S. Quinn
Reynders, McVeigh Capital
Management clients
Adam Roberts
Hayden Rose
Marissa Ruyle
Miriam Sagan
Dr. Shelle Sanchez
Jenna Scanlon
Elizabeth and Richard Schnieders
Rebecca Sheff and Ethan Stone
Tikkun Olam Fund
Martha and Patterson Simons
Linda and Andrew Spingler
The Sustainability Group clients
Trillium Asset Management clients
Kathy Ulibarri
Paul Vogel
Debra A. Walsh
Carla Weil
Homewise is proud to have helped close to 7,000 New Mexicans become homeowners since 1986. Homeowners are more vested in their communities, and help create stronger, more vibrant neighborhoods. By helping clients achieve their dreams of homeownership, we are investing in a brighter, more equitable future for New Mexico. We invite you to explore our impact-driven investment opportunities and help build a more sustainable economic model for all through affordable homeownership.
Our Community Catalyst Note is a powerful engine for change, driving vital residential developments that pave the way for affordable homeownership among modest-income families and fueling the creation of essential commercial projects that serve the most pressing needs of our underserved communities.
For investors who wish to align their personal finances with their values, this fund delivers fixed-rate returns using a social, environmental and financial investment model that promotes affordable housing, energy-efficiency, community vitality, and the financial security of individuals and families in New Mexico. Investment disclosure notice.
The Notes are offered to both individual and institutional investors who reside in states in which our Notes are registered or exempt from registration. This currently includes: Alaska, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance or success. There is no suitability or fiduciary obligation performed for an investor by the issuer or any of its representatives. Investors should consider diversification in their investments. This notice is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale is not authorized. The offering is made solely by the Prospectus, which more fully describes certain risks involved in a purchase of securities. The securities are not FDIC or SIPC insured, are not bank deposits, and are not guaranteed by any federal agency.
Chief Executive Officer
Daniel SlavinChief Financial Officer and
Chief Real Estate Development Officer
Chief Operations Officer
Kelly O’DonnellChief Research and Policy Officer
Rathi CaseyChief Creative Officer
Johanna GilliganChief External Affairs Officer
Chris QuintanaChief Lending Officer
Lisa Huval
Senior Director of
Real Estate Development
Marissa Ruyle, Chair
Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sanchez,
Vice Chair and Secretary
Amanda Kocon, Treasurer
Anne Messbarger-Eguia
Agnes Noonan
Joseph Kunkel
Josue Olivares
Jade Rivera
Monique Frague
Bianca Ortiz Wertheim
Sean Harris
Alex Montaño
