From hope to home: Angela’s journey to ownership with Catapult

Catapult Greater Pittsburgh’s mission is to close the wealth gap and achieve economic justice for historically disenfranchised communities. Through initiatives focused on homeownership, entrepreneurship and financial education, Catapult is creating pathways to economic empowerment. When the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, a nonprofit that offers affordable housing resources to Pennsylvania residents, approached Catapult with a shared vision of closing the racial homeownership gap in Pittsburgh, Catapult partnered to develop a pilot program: Revitalizing Neighborhoods & Increasing Homeownership (RNIH). This partnership launched in Febuary 2023 and offers grants of up to $25,000 to qualified homebuyers, helping reduce loan principal and cover closing costs. Any remaining funds can be applied to paying down student loans and eligible borrowers may also access a 10-year forgiveness loan of up to 5% of the home’s sale price.  

Angela is a shining example of how this program is turning dreams into reality. She had always hoped to own a home but didn’t think it was possible for her. “I ended up finding Catapult through one of my friends who told me I could buy a house with their help. I told her she was crazy and there was no way I could afford to buy a house,” Angela shared. But once she connected with Catapult and joined the RNIH program, her dream began to take shape.   

With $10,000 in closing costs covered by RNIH, Angela purchased her four-bedroom dream home and used her savings to refinish the floors.  

Thanks to the support of United Way, programs like Catapult’s RNIH are empowering individuals like Angela, increasing Black homeownership rates and building a more equitable Pittsburgh.