Erie City Moms has purchased and begun renovations on a property in urban Erie with plans to launch a pilot program that will bolster mother figures aspiring to homeownership. The two-unit house at 226 East 10th Street will afford qualifying families the opportunity to live short-term for low rent while they continue the hard work of building their credit and savings, and are mentored in the challenges and responsibilities of owning a house. Tenants will receive help in their permanent housing search and accessing first-time homebuyer benefits. The house boasts two family-size apartments—one 3-bedroom and one 4-bedroom and will be move-in ready early summer 2024.
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Founded through a grassroots effort to provide support for mother figures from all walks of life, Erie City Moms now hosts up to 30 Moms Groups annually across Erie’s most disinvested neighborhoods. The nonprofit also provides mentoring, advocacy, and basic needs and housing support.
Erie City Moms has helped many mother figures in the community as they struggle through homelessness and lack of access to affordable quality housing, especially for large families on a small budget. In response, the group formed a Housing Team made up of church and business leaders committed to addressing safety and quality-of-life housing issues. The same team is overseeing rehabilitation efforts on the 226 East 10th Street apartments and finalizing programming details on the homeownership pilot.
The sale was made possible through the support of several private investors and Coldwell Banker Select REALTOR Catherine Fox. Erie City Moms would like to thank Select Settlement, Inc., and Attorney John Mir for providing real estate closing services pro-bono. The house was partially donated for the purpose of this pilot by previous owners Brian and Isabel Canales.
