Syracuse Housing Authority in 2025 saw a record interest in its homeownership program from Section 8 tenants.  Thirty-five families who rely on Section 8 applied to be part of the program for the first time, the highest number in the program’s two-decade history. In all, SHA has had 212 famil ies express interest in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program in recent years.  This program serves as a pipeline for existing Section 8 holders to move toward sustainable homeownership as tenants struggle to find safe and affordable housing options in Syracuse’s tight rental market. According to HUD, New York and Texas have the highest number of homeownership participants. SHA ranks sixth in the state for number of active homeownership participants, placing higher than Buffalo, Albany and Ithaca.  Eight families who are Section 8 voucher holders in the program ended up closing on homes in 2025. Afi Olowu, who oversees the homeownership program, called it a win. While eight of the 212 families closed on homes, Olowu believes the smaller number indicates some families were more ready than others to move into a new home.  “It really helps us make sure that the people who are in the program are ready,” Olowu said, “and it has ensured we haven’t had any foreclosures.”  Started in 2001, the program was developed by the federal government to respond to a need among Section 8 participants who wanted to move on from renting to owning a home but lacked access to financial education and support.  Afi Olowu who is supervising SHA’s homeownership program said that homeownership is the first step to creating generational wealth for low-income families. Credit: Courtesy of Afi Olowu Participants must meet several requirements: They must be a current participant in the Section 8 program.  They must qualify as a first-time home buyer.  They must meet other eligibility requirements of the homeownership voucher program.  They must be eligible to apply for a mortgage.  They are required to complete a homebuyers education course at the Home HeadQuarters. Instead of using their Section 8 voucher to subsidize rent, a family may choose to use the voucher to help with their mortgage. When a family becomes eligible to own a home, SHA makes monthly payments on behalf of the family for at least half of the mortgage. For example, SHA will assist up to a decade for a 20-year mortgage or for 15 years for a 30-year mortgage as long as the family complies with the program and remains income eligible.  Forty-nine percent of the families interested in the program were 55 or older which demonstrated a strong interest in homeownership and long-term housing stability later on in life, Olowu said.  In case of families with a disability, SHA is allowed to assist with their mortgage indefinitely, as long as they comply with program rules. Forty-six percent of the interested households have a head of household with disabilities. “Beyond homeownership this program is about creating long-term stability and opportunity,” Olowu said. “[For] many low income families, this is their first chance to build equity and create generational wealth, and it can have long lasting impacts for their children and future generations.” The program initially had some strict time constraints for families to find housing. However, SHA realized that rigid timelines created additional stress for families, preventing them from buying a home.  In 2018, Olowu and her supervisor, LaShonda Young Hamilton, who oversees the Section 8 program at SHA, restructured the program and created a more flexible model. Participants now have the opportunity to progress at their own pace while complying with key components of the program. That includes financial education, one-on-one counseling and preparing for mortgage readiness. Interested families are required to fill out a comprehensive interest survey, which has key questions about their employment, their experience with homeownership and family composition, among others. The coordinators at SHA then look through the information and help Section 8 participants interested in homeownership meet the requirements. Once the family is ready to secure a mortgage, they have to choose a lender and get prequalified. As soon as they provide these documents to SHA, the families can start looking for a home within Onondaga County, which Olowu said is the longest part of the process.  When a family identifies a home and it passes inspection, they go through the closing process. SHA goes over the documents and calculates how much mortgage assistance the program will provide. Similar to Section 8 rental subsidies, if there is a change in an applicant’s household income during the mortgage process, SHA recalculates and adjusts the portion of the mortgage they take on. Instead of paying the mortgage directly to the mortgage lender, SHA disperses the money to the Section 8 participants.  “At this stage, we’re not trying to hold their hands anymore. We expect them to pay their mortgage and we check in with them annually,” Olowu said.  Families can consult with an SHA program coordinator to make sure they comply with the program, including ensuring that they have homeowners insurance, assisting with budgeting and fixing issues with their mortgage to prevent foreclosures.  Over the last three years, Olowu has noticed an increase in the number of people who qualify for the program. Those who showed interest in the program but were unable to go through to achieve homeownership do not have to reapply to be on the list, she said. They occupy a spot on the list until they are ready to go through with the process.  The program has helped educate both prospective home buyers and the lenders, showing the latter that intentional lending to low-income families and assisting with the process can lead to sustainable home buying.  “These families are proving that they can do it. They are able to do it. They just needed a chance,” Olowu said. 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