Meet Irene, a proud Acts Housing graduate whose path to homeownership started with a simple invitation from a community partner—and turned into a clear, confident “yes.”
Irene was renting through Strong Blocks (a rent-to-own program) when someone from Strong Blocks encouraged her to attend Acts Housing’s homebuyer education workshops. That connection opened the door to coaching, partners, and a clear plan—support that Acts Housing provides for over 2,000 families each year through homebuyer education and coaching.
“I heard about Acts Housing through Strong Blocks because that’s who I rent through,” Irene said. “I went for the first time and thought, ‘This is valuable information.’ The second time, I was like, ‘Maybe I can do this.’ The third time, I said, ‘This is what I want.’”
At Acts, we see this often: families don’t need a perfect starting point—they need the right information and a community around them.
Starting Point: Rent-to-Own and a New Goal
At one point, Irene didn’t see homeownership as something meant for her.
“I didn’t want to own a home,” she shared. “I didn’t want to have to pay to fix things—so I just thought I’ll rent.”
Over time, Irene began looking for a path forward. Through Strong Blocks, she was already in a rent-to-own home and building toward ownership while renting.
“I started with Strong Blocks as rent-to-own,” she said. “I rented for six years and generated money in the program already.”
The Mindset Shift: “I Didn’t Think It Was for Me.”
Even with an opportunity in front of her, Irene carried a message many families grow up hearing.
“I was raised thinking buying a house was super hard—that you have to be a certain type of person, I didn’t think it was for me.”
Homebuyer education helped her face the hard parts with real support.
“It was emotionally up and down,” Irene shared. “When they talked about credit, I was like, ‘I’m not going to qualify.’ Then I qualified and I was like, “I qualified!’”
When doubt came back up, she stayed in it and worked the plan.
“Then they talked about judgments and debt, and I thought, ‘I’m not going to qualify,’” Irene said. “But I was encouraged to work a couple things out on my credit report and it worked out.”
The Difference: Partners + People in Your Corner
Irene completed her homebuyer education course and received her certificate with Acts Housing through the Women in Worship cohort—through the partnership between World Outreach, Acts Housing, U.S. Bank, Safe and Sound, and the Milwaukee Urban League.
One thing Irene appreciated was learning directly from community partners who came in and explained resources in detail.
“It was great having different people come in and tell us about different services,” she said.
“What helped me the most was outside partners coming to the meetings and sharing what they do and how they can help,” Irene added. “Habitat for Humanity, Dr. Oby, the land trust—having them explain their programs in detail was so helpful.”
She also kept coming back to the feeling of not doing it alone.
“I had Seanice, Maya, Keven—you have a community to help you,” she said. “Evette, Jamal, Seanice—any coach that was there. You’re not doing it by yourself. You actually have a whole community with you.”
What Irene did—step by step:
- Kept showing up and stayed engaged through the workshops
- Asked questions and used coaching support
- Worked through credit report items instead of assuming “no”
- Leaned on community partners and her support team along the way
Irene’s Advice
“The advice I’d give someone on this journey is: keep going,” Irene said. “Ask questions if you don’t understand. Don’t stop—there’s going to be a block, but it will move out the way.”
And she’s honest about what it takes to get there.
“I had to work during this whole process,” she explained. “I had to take time from work for things like the inspection. I had to call creditors. It’s work outside of work.”
For people who feel too busy to start, Irene keeps it simple:
“If you have five to ten minutes, use your lunch break,” she said. “It’s worth it. It’s really worth it.”
If you’re ready to take your next step toward homeownership, Acts Housing is here to help you build a plan—and our partners and supporters make that support possible. Start your journey to homeownership here.