About Us

As the Great Financial Crisis of 2004 thru 2014 was unfolding, we recognized there was no association or group representing the exclusive interest of the 75 million existing homeowners and the millions of consumers who would be aspiring homeowners in the decades to come. 

 

The National Association of Realtors represented the approximate 1.1 Million Real Estate Agents.

 

The Mortgage Bankers Association represented the approximate 2,500 top mortgage lending institutions.

 

The American Bankers Association represented the nearly 5,000 commercial banks in America.

 

The National Association of Homebuilders represented the nearly 200,000 homebuilder companies.

 

The American Land Title Association represented the thousands of Title Insurance Companies and Title Agents.

 

The Appraisal Foundation represented the licensed Home Appraisers.

 

And there were many other special interest groups representing other factions of the housing ecosystem. 

 

But – as the housing crisis unfolded and impacted both existing homeowners and aspiring homeowners – there was nobody there to shield them from the economic crisis – And no one  to offer ideas to mitigate the impact on them – or to ensure that housing policy would work for them -- to allow for the fair and sustainable delivery of opportunity to the aspiring homeowners of America.

 

So, in 2011, we created the America’s Homeowner Alliance (AHA) as a non-profit organization with a simple mission statement that would resonate for decades and generations:

 

“To protect and promote sustainable homeownership for all segments of America.”

 

Our target membership was the 75 million existing homeowners and every future aspiring homeowner. 

 

The financial crisis was already a full “tsunami” on homeowners of America when we formed AHA in 2011. In fact, because of the crisis, single-family homeowners lost in the aggregate more than $7 Trillion of their hard-earned home equity! It stripped much of America of its retirement nest egg; the ability of homeowners to use their equity to pay for college for their kids; or to supplement future health care needs, and more. It created a residual crisis of Student Loan Debt that was shifted from the lost equity in homes to the backs of 18-year-old students forced to borrow money that they would carry as a financial burden for most of their lives. 

 

Much of the crisis could have been prevented. We will not go into that revisionist history in this “About Us” section. But – please know – our mission statement says it all. We cannot take for granted that bad government policy or bad oversight; or bad lending policy; or unfair competitive forces; or gross imbalance of supply and demand, won’t affect the opportunity and the sustainability of homeownership in America again. 

 

We must stay vigilant to ensure that business practices are fair, safe, and sound. We must ensure that government policies do not impinge fair opportunity for all or end up picking the winners and losers by chance or by choice; and ensure that we can solve the housing inventory shortages and the insurance conundrum and interest rate spikes -- and much more. Because, if we are not working on these aspects of homeownership on behalf of our members – the existing and aspiring homeowners of America – then who will?

 

Studies indicate that homeowners have 70% more net worth than renters. That is another primary reason for us to strive to make homeownership a real possibility for all who are genuinely interested and have earned the opportunity. 

 

Over the months and years since we formed the AHA, we have had profound victories on behalf of existing and aspiring homeowners. But the crusade continues. 

 

There will be much more for you to learn from our website; our Road Home Newsletters; our Position Papers; Policy recommendations and more. Old issues continue to have impacts and every day there are now issues and policies that impact our members.

 

Please join AHA today – Membership is FREE.  We need every one of you to join us in this great crusade.

 

If you are already a Member of AHA, we thank you for your support and loyalty. 

 

If you are trying to decide if you should join, take the initiative, make a difference, add your voice to millions of others not afraid to fight for economic justice, and help to pursue the dream of sustainable homeownership for All segments of America.