They provide a significant economic underpinning for the sense of community important to maintaining the civic fabric. Home ownership is not just about shelter, but about a broader connection to the community. When individuals are connected to these elements, their ability to experience a sense of community is greater. Where that sense of community is strong, civic fabric is likely to be strong as well. Where a sense of community is weak, civic fabric is vulnerable.
Home ownership is important also for the household economic benefits it can produce.
But there is also another kind of wealth that can accrue to families and individuals from achieving the goal of home ownership. Affordable housing builds community by creating financial assets for new homeowners that can be leveraged, as well as by creating connections to the community. Home purchase and home improvement are more than financial transactions. They are vehicles through which people can invest and engage in their community. Home-buyer education, by increasing peoples' financial acumen, is also a means through which families can gain personal efcacy and take control of their futures.