Students at St. John Emmanuel Lutheran School duct-tape Principal Axel Green to the gym wall Wednesday after they met a goal of raising $1,000 for the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, which supports disease control in Africa.FORT WAYNE – The city’s Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services is offering free Homebuyer Education Classes to help residents buy and maintain a home.
“Time and again, people who take this class tell us they gain a tremendous amount of knowledge they can use to become better homebuyers and homeowners,” said Heather Presley-Cowen, director of the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. “This class promotes responsible homeownership, which is essential to strengthening our neighborhoods and improving the quality of life in Fort Wayne.”
Each class is eight hours long and uses the “Realizing the American Dream” curriculum developed by NeighborWorks America. Participants receive a certificate of training signed by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certified housing counselor. .
The certificate may be used to apply for local homebuyer assistance programs, such as the City of Fort Wayne Down Payment Assistance program.
Classes are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and take place:
•Oct. 6: Envision Life Center, 4822 Projects Drive
•Nov. 14: Red Cross Meeting Room F, 1212 E. California Road
•Dec. 1: Red Cross Meeting Room B, 1212 E. California Road
Topics covered in the curriculum include understanding if you’re ready to buy a home, managing your money, understanding credit, getting a mortgage, shopping for a home, protecting your investment, home maintenance and your housing and credit rights.
Anyone interested in taking the class should call 260-427-1127 or 311.
