\u201cI came upon this opportunity to participate in the Blueprints Financial Coaching program,\u201d Sausha said, \u201cand I just felt like it was meant to be.\u201d Sausha was part of the Individual Development Account (IDA) program through Veridian and the 24\/7 BLAC project, both focused on financial empowerment and homeownership support. That\u2019s when she was introduced to the Blueprints Financial Coaching Program at Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blueprints is a one-on-one financial coaching program designed to help participants become mortgage-ready through a traditional bank or credit union in just 24 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through personalized coaching, Sausha worked side-by-side with Iowa Heartland staff. Together, they built a realistic budget, reviewed her credit report, and identified the steps she needed to take to improve her finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter that first session,\u201d Sausha shared, \u201cI knew I needed to focus on savings and paying down debt to prepare for buying my first home. This program helped me take a second look at my finances.\u201d She also learned how vital a down payment and a strong credit score were in the path to homeownership \u2014 lessons that empowered her to take control of her financial future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sausha attended a series of homebuyer education classes, which included topics like home maintenance, yard and lawn care, energy-saving tips to reduce utility bills, and even career and estate planning. The knowledge she gained built her confidence and deepened her sense of readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Participants who complete the program can qualify for up to $15,000 in down payment assistance \u2014 a life-changing opportunity that helped make homeownership truly attainable for Sausha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now? She\u2019s a proud homeowner. \u201cNow that I am a homeowner,\u201d she said, \u201cmy future has changed in a lot of great ways.\u201d Sausha has a two-year-old daughter, and nothing fills her heart more than knowing her little girl will grow up in a home they can truly call their own. She\u2019s especially excited about their fenced-in backyard \u2014 a safe, joyful space where her daughter can run, play, and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reflecting on the program, Sausha is deeply grateful. \u201cThe one-on-one coaching was so helpful. I had someone to walk with me, check in with me, and help me through every step.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sausha said, \u201cThis is an awesome program to help people get ready for homeownership.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cI came upon this opportunity to participate in the Blueprints Financial Coaching program,\u201d Sausha said, \u201cand I just felt like it was meant to be.\u201d Sausha was part of the Individual Development Account (IDA) program through Veridian and the 24\/7 BLAC project, both focused on financial empowerment and homeownership support. That\u2019s when she was introduced […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1685,"template":"","page-location":[196],"story-type":[208],"class_list":["post-1684","featured-story","type-featured-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","page-location-stories-of-impact","story-type-blueprints"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured-story\/1684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured-story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/featured-story"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"page-location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/page-location?post=1684"},{"taxonomy":"story-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webuildhabitat.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story-type?post=1684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}