First-time homebuyer training hosted by Commissioner Angela Powell highlights seven recent homeowners

A first-time homebuyer training session hosted by Commissioner Angela Powell and Norbert Burrows, founder of I Am The Village Foundation, showcased participant success stories and credited local partners for helping attendees close on homes, organizers said.

An attendee described the program’s practical help, saying, "What I learned in this program is that without this program and what they teach you, it took me 47 days from start to finish." The speaker added that she received approval within a week of starting the process and "she closed on the house yesterday," underscoring rapid movement from training to closing.

Program organizers named Huntington Bank and Gesher Human Services as supporters of the session. The attendee, who said she is a contractor and found paperwork difficult, described staff assistance as pivotal: "this kind of paperwork stuff makes my head spin, and they held my hand through the whole thing." That hands-on support was presented as a central reason participants succeeded in completing mortgage steps.

The speaker noted Commissioner Angela Powell has hosted the trainings for two years and said the most recent class "celebrated 7 new homeowners." Organizers expressed optimism about reaching more residents in 2026.

The session combined presentations, partner support and participant testimony to highlight the program’s role in helping first-time buyers navigate approvals and closing. No formal policy actions or votes were recorded during the event.