11 Aug Richmond Block Party Connects Renters With Pathways to Homeownership

A family eats food at the “Buy Back The Jets” block party hosted by Richmond LAND in North Richmond on Aug. 2, an event that aimed to connect residents of the Las Deltas community with real tools and resources for buying homes in their neighborhood.

Story and photos by Denis Perez- Bravo

A community block party in North Richmond featured music, food and face painting — but the heart of the event was about something deeper: helping longtime renters become homeowners.

Organized by Richmond LAND and Smerkish Brand, the “Buy Back the Jets” event aimed to connect residents of the Las Deltas community with real tools and resources for buying homes in their neighborhood.

Among those drawn to the event was Richmond resident DeWanda Joseph, who came looking for practical steps toward owning residential property.

“I came out today excited to hear about the possibility of homeownership, and my hope has risen tremendously,” Joseph said.

She has her eyes on a multi-unit property in the area.

“There are some places over here that are for sale that have three or four units on a property. So that equates to about six apartment units, and you can build up if you choose to,” she said.

Joseph, who has strong credit and plans to buy jointly with family members, said her goal is to create lasting security for future generations.

“It is a heritage and inheritance,” Joseph said.

 

Joseph’s vision of generational security stems from her family’s deep roots in the area. Her relatives came to the area in the 1940s, when the neighborhood was still a predominantly Italian community.

Her family was among some of the first African American people to live there. “They lived on the property, and they helped each other to take care of children as they rotated going to work at the shipyards.”

As North Richmond evolves, Joseph said it’s important that Black residents have the opportunity to shape its future rather than be pushed out of it.

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It’s this kind of community concern that drives collaborative efforts like “Buy Back the Jets,” which was also organized by the Community Housing Development Corporation, Our Power Coalition, Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Richmond Community Foundation and the Housing Authority of Contra Costa County.

The event also featured a free backpack giveaway by Change 4 Fivehundred, free food by TMD Catering, DJ Gary on stage, live performances by Donté Clark, D’Barbie and JLR Delly, face painting, a photo booth and two video game trailers.

 

But throughout the event, the main focus stayed on homeownership support, with financial educators and real estate professionals on hand to guide residents through the process.

Realtor Patricia Stewart, a Richmond-based housing advocate and graduate of a real estate development cohort led by Richmond Neighborhood Housing, hosted a table for Infiniti Investments.

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She spoke with residents about what it really takes to buy a home.

“So first of all, if you’re interested in purchasing, what do you have to do?”

She highlighted a person’s credit score as a place to start. And then figuring out how much the property costs and how much money is needed to get a loan from the bank.

“Once they do get approved, what do I do with that approval letter? You know, who do I talk to?” she said.

Professional partnerships matter, she said, noting that “not everyone who has a license in this profession might pair up and be a good fit for you.”

 

Stewart also brought up the opportunities of family-based purchasing strategies to those that came to her table.

“I talked to a lot of people about purchasing as a family. They think they have to do it all alone,” she said. “Well, if you and your family are all living together, you can purchase together.”

This collaborative approach extends to Stewart’s vision for long-term wealth building.

“Once you purchase, you can use that equity to purchase again and again and to build wealth,” she said.

Her philosophy encompasses not just initial homeownership, but sustainable financial growth over generations that Richmond LAND and its collaborating organizations hope to bring to Richmond.

 

“This has been a community-led event, and we really hope that it can inspire and motivate people to believe in the possibilities that exist for them,” said Amy Young, Richmond LAND’s real estate manager.

The event’s turnout excited Young, knowing information was getting spread and that Richmond LAND, which she described as “a community land trust and a community-based organization led by the community,” was also gaining members.

After this event, the organization will continue to conduct regular member meetings where participants collaborate on project decisions and planning initiatives.

“We’re trying to connect people to resources and have a good time while doing it, creating a collective for the neighborhood to be able to own the neighborhood,” Young said.