Overview:
• Comedian Mike Epps will share his real estate journey at the OwnBlkCincy Homeownership Symposium in Cincinnati on June 29.
• The symposium will address homeownership challenges, provide workshops and feature a Wealth Building Marketplace.
Contributed
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and The City of Cincinnati are partners in the two-day OwnBlkCincy Homeownership Symposium scheduled for 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29 at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. Free lunch and parking will be provided for Friday, and free breakfast, lunch, child care, parking and Metro passes are provided for Saturday. Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank are the presenting sponsors, and Fifth Third Bank is the title sponsor.
On Friday, June 28, the symposium will focus on policy to address homeownership challenges. A few examples are lack of housing inventory, the need for down payment and home repair assistance, racial bias in appraisals and more. Mayor Aftab Pureval, City Manager Sheryl Long, State Sen. Cathy Ingram, State Reps. Sedrick Denson, Dani Isaacsohn and Cecil Thomas, County Commission Vice President Denise Driehaus and others will weigh in on the discussions with representatives from HOME, LISC, 10k Appraisers, Working in Neighborhoods, and other organizations. Anthony Forté, a representative from the HUD Regional Office in Columbus will speak during lunch.
On Saturday, June 29, U.S. Senator Sherod Brown (virtually), U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, and Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece will greet future and current homeowners. There will be workshops on how to purchase a home, maintain and renovate a home, invest in multifamily housing, hire contractors, and make do-it-yourself home repairs. They’ll also learn how to find needed resources for down payments, maintenance, and investing. Celebrity guest, comedian Mike Epps will share his real estate journey. Made famous through his appearances in numerous movies and TV shows including “Def Comedy Jam” and “Next Friday,” Mike Epps has a proven track record in developing affordable housing. He and his wife recently had a show on HGTV called “Buying Back the Block” which showed their journey in revitalizing the neighborhood in which he grew up, combating gentrification and bringing affordable housing to the area.
Attendees will be able to walk through the Wealth Building Marketplace and discover how 13 nonprofits and 10 lending partners can assist them in building their financial future and establishing generational wealth. Organizations include HUD, the Urban League, HOME, LISC, Working in Neighborhoods, Price Hill Will, the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the Port Authority, CMHA, the Community Action Agency, and many others.
Lincoln Ware on Friday, and Ebony J on Saturday will broadcast LIVE from the symposium! Doors open at 9 a.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.
For more information and to register, visit www.ownblkcincy.org.
