MILWAUKEE — Financial relief is something many people are searching for.
It’s one of the reasons why Evolve Church has officially launched the Single Mother Housing Initiative. The program is designed to lift some of the burden off of families in the city of Milwaukee and you still have time to apply!
“So this is the beginning, the start, the commencement of this amazing program that we wanted to do,” said Kenneth Lock II, Evolve Church Senior Pastor. “We are standing in the first home that we’ve purchased for our single mom’s home buying initiative.”
The Single Mother Housing Initiative works to support single mothers on their road to home ownership. It’s a resource Pastor Lock and Brenda Kirk, Program Director for the Single Mother Housing Initiative said is needed now more than ever.
“It’s obvious that there is already a disparity when it comes to home buying within the minority, specifically the Black community and even more so when it comes to Black women,” said Lock.
According to the National Association of Realtors, just 7% of home buyers in 2023 were Black, 19% were single women and those with children under the age of 18 dropped to the lowest level seen at just 30% of all buyers.
”It just makes you realize that what we did last time isn’t enough,” said Pastor Lock. “I think everyday we’re praying and dreaming about another person or family we can help. Understanding that home ownership in America is the beginning of breaking that generational gap from debt to wealth.”
Moms who qualify will have a chance to rent this newly renovated 3 bedroom 1 bathroom property for $1,100 per month.
During the 12 month program, they’ll also receive financial guidance and the tools necessary to purchase a forever home of their own. According to the program details, once the year is through, rent payments made on time will be returned and put toward the down payment for the new home mothers have been approved to buy.
“The home has a brand new remodeled kitchen, brand new remodeled basement, every room has been redone, floors have been redone,” said Pastor Lock. “It gives the mom and the kids a vision of the type of lifestyle they deserve.”
Moms will also be given a credit of about $2,000 for furniture depending on the need.
“When it comes to the furniture, we didn’t want to just pick the furniture for the moms and they’re kind of just stuck with my taste, which may not be the best,” Pastor Lock said as he laughed. “I think when you give someone the power of choice you empower them in a greater way.”
The deadline to apply to the Single Mother Housing Initiative is March 31st. Program qualifications and additional information can be found here.
This program is one of several the church has in place to serve those in the city of Milwaukee and beyond.
“We want moms and dads to be homeowners,” said Pastor Lock. “We’re not just doing things for single moms, we’re also equally invested in fathers. I think most people don’t know that we have a fatherhood initiative that we’ve partnered with US Bank to help fathers and men to become homeowners as well.”
Pastor Lock tells TMJ4 News Reporter Sydni Eure the idea for the Single Mother Housing Initiative has been in the works for a very long time and is close to his own heart and home.
“With my mom, at one point, being a single mom and me having 10 sisters and half of them being single moms, I just knew it was important to start a program that gave back,” said Pastor Lock. “If you have a heart that loves people, I think you just spend enough time with the people and you’ll always see there’s another need.”
Kirk has also seen the need first hand and said it’s the driving force for her involvement in the program to begin with.
“I’m going to cry with them,” said Kirk with a smile on her face. “It’s exciting to see, being a single mother and being raised by a single mother, to see these women being helped and knowing that we’re going to have more and more resources available to help.”
“The big picture is to have several homes available through this program and have a lot more homeowners,” said Kirk. “It will be exactly what was put on Pastor Ken's heart which is to change the city, change the generation and to make sure that we are making an impact and we’re just not a building but we’re going out into the community doing the work that we were called to do.”
Pastor Lock said though the process was long, it was an absolute must for the homes in this program to be near Evolve Church and Community Center off N 76th Street and W Acacia Street on Milwaukee’s North side.
“This is so intentional. We actually walked away from deals that were too far away,” said Pastor Lock. “With us being in the 53223, our church, our community center, we wanted to make sure that we could purchase homes around this area so that the moms could have access to the church and the community center and not feel like they’re so far.”
Pastor Lock said it was also important for families to feel safe in their new home.
“We wanted to purchase homes in areas where kids could go outside, kids could play,” said Pastor Lock. “I hope this home can like create a culture almost like 'The Jefferson's Moving On Up.' Right, like it just makes you feel at home, makes you feel like this is a place where you can build a family, this is a place where you can start to dream even bigger beyond this.”
This program could be the first step toward home ownership for many families dreaming big right along with the Evolve Church community.
“To be able to stand here and give the keys to a family and know that this is going to change the trajectory of someone's life - it’s a dream come true,” said Pastor Lock.
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