NEW CASTLE, Pa. – Helping families realize the dream of homeownership is one of the goals of the Home Buyers’ Program through the United Way of Lawrence County.

A study conducted in the county found families were spending up to 80% of their income on housing, with the majority living in rental properties. 

The Home Buyers’ Program was created several years ago to help prepare families for homeownership. Penn

State Extension has been one of the partners in the program by providing up-to-date information to help families learn to create reasonable goals for budgeting and planning for their future.

“We are proud of the many families that were able to purchase their own home by taking advantage of these classes,” said Gayle Young, executive director of United Way of Lawrence County. “We realize that once a family purchases a home, they are literally out of poverty and start to enjoy generational wealth.”

Sponsored by the Lawrence-Mercer Association of Realtors and the Lawrence County Community Foundation, the program helps participants such as Janea Goggins learn the steps to buying a home, including building a credit score, budgeting, approaching banks for home loans, working with local real estate agents and programs that can help first time homebuyers.

“The people I met along the way have a great passion for their jobs, and I cannot be more thankful for them,” Goggins said.

She said she liked the intimate setting where she was able to ask questions. She learned about grants to help with closing costs, and with nearly nothing out of pocket, she realized her goal of providing a home for herself and her children.

The next classes will begin Jan. 6 at First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Pa. Classes are from 6-8 p.m., running for five weeks through Feb. 3.

Presenters will include Columbia Gas, Penn Power, Neighborhood Legal Services, Don Services, Lawrence Mercer Board of Realtors, BC3, PA Careerlink, Human Services Center NeighborWorks and local financial institutions.

More information about the classes can be found HERE. To sign up, call 724 658 8528.

Pictured at top: Janea Goggins, who participated in the program.