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Pillar 4: The Urban Center for Housing, Financial Empowerment & Wealth Building

The Key to Stability Starts Here: Helping Black, Brown and Underserved Families Unlock Opportunities for Prosperity, Legacy, and Growth 

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ABOUT PILLAR 4 The Urban Center for Housing, Financial Empowerment & Wealth Building

Safe, affordable, adequate housing is foundational to success in life. Without a place to live, it is nearly impossible to get a job, save, maintain good health, anchor children in schools or childcare facilities, and establish civic and community ties. Yet throughout our state, low- and moderate-income people are unable to find decent, affordable choices. 

Traditionally, a home forms the basis of stability and wealth-building, but systemic lack of access has robbed Black communities of an equal chance to advance. Nationwide, Black renters face eviction rates almost twice that of their White counterparts, and historical biases have limited access to housing. The Urban League seeks to end the disparity in housing and home ownership that has contributed to generational poverty in Black communities.  

Buying a home can be overwhelming, particularly for first-time buyers with no family examples to model. The League offers housing counseling to help clients individualize their options. The process empowers prospective buyers to make informed decisions and significantly improves a successful outcome.   

Our HUD-Approved Housing counselors focus on financial preparedness, mortgage readiness, and other topics that promote maintaining safe homes.  We engage with bankers, mortgage lenders, realtors, home inspectors, down payment assistance programs, home maintenance experts, and insurance professionals throughout the housing sector. Together, they are helping expand housing and homeownership in communities of color.   

In November 2023, we launched our web-based HUB – Housing Urban Blueprint – a one-stop shop for first-time homebuyers to connect with every sector of the industry on their route to purchasing a safe, affordable home. 

Meet Alysse Marshall

Our Programs

The Urban Center for Housing was developed to help Black, Brown, rural, and poor communities build wealth through financial education and homeownership.

Homeownership Urban Blueprint

Super Saturday
June 2026

A Homebuyer Education Workshop & Expo

Homeownership Urban Blueprint

The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta assembled a dynamic coalition – the Atlanta WORTH Collaborative – of business, civic, non-profit, and philanthropic organizations operating in the affordable housing sector to work together to boost sustainable homeownership for underrepresented families and communities across metro Atlanta. Fueled by a multi-million-dollar Wells Fargo grant, in addition to partner resources, the Collaborative is leveraging these funds to increase the number of affordable single-family homes and ultimately set out to close the racial wealth gap. As a foundational member of the Worth Collaborative, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, is excited to lead the collaborative’s shared goal through the development and launch of The Homeownership Urban Blueprint (The HUB) – a one-stop destination for key homebuyer resources. For more information about the HUB, please click here.

Financial Empowerment

Financial coaching helps clients achieve long-term goals and build assets. An understanding of budgeting is vital to become and remain financially stable. Our housing counselors equip clients with the resources to set goals and make informed financial choices. Take the next step in strengthening your finances, contact Breana Curry today.

Rental Counseling and Placement Services

Rental housing is essential for many people, yet the nation is facing a crisis in escalating rent and lack of available properties. Our counselors can help locate affordable rental housing. They also can help clients understand Fair Housing Rights, how to resolve landlord and tenant disputes, and how to report unsafe building conditions and costs associated with rental housing. For more information, please contact Tony Jean-Louis.

Foreclosure Prevention

Mortgage Delinquency and Default Resolution counselors work as liaisons between the homeowner and the lender’s loss mitigation department to explore mortgage assistance options. Counselors guide homeowners in submitting a loan modification package to their lender. According to HUD, data prove that homeowners who seek counseling in the early stages of default are more likely to receive a loan modification and remain in their home. Need support? Contact Tony Jean-Louis today.

Non-Delinquency Post-Purchase Counseling

For many families, the purchase of a home is the single largest investment they will ever make. It is important to prepare for, prevent, and learn how to recover from challenges that may jeopardize this investment. Please contact Tony Jean-Louis for more information.

Homebuyer Education Workshops

Our workshops on the Home Buying Process cover mortgage application to closing. We teach clients how to prepare a monthly spending plan, improve credit scores, build savings, and determine readiness and purchase affordability. One-on-one counseling, scheduled after Homebuyer Education workshop, may take place in person, virtually or over the phone. Clients are required to complete the workshop and pre-purchase counseling sessions in order to qualify for down payment/closing cost assistance from our trusted lending partners. Ready to take the next step? Please contact Tamarjia Andrews .

Meet Our Team

Johnette-Headshot2
Sr. Director | The Urban Center For Financial Empowerment and Wealth Building
Johnette Brown
Sara Nessanbaum
The HUB Program Manager
Sara Nessanbaum
Sharee Wright
The HUB Program Coordinator
Sheree Wright
bcurry
Financial Empowerment Program Manager
Certified Financial Coach
Breana Curry
Tony Jean Louis
HUD Certified Housing Counselor
Housing Program Manager
Tony Jean-Louis
tandrews
Program Coordinator
Tamarjia Andrews
Eusevius I. Howard
Certified Financial Coach
Eusevius I. Howard

contact us

Find us Here

230 Peachtree St., NW Suite 2600
Atlanta, GA 30303

Get In touch

404-659-6584
jbrown@ulgatl.org

Office Hours

Mon - Fri: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Take the first step, we will take care Of the rest