The Alliance's tour is bringing these conversations to communities across the country, recently stopping in Akron, Ohio, and Tampa, Fla.
In Akron, the Alliance stopped at The Remedy Church, where Colin Allen, the Alliance's executive director, and LaRese Purnell, managing partner of CLE Consulting Firm, led a panel discussion on the unique challenges Akron residents face on their path to homeownership. The discussion addressed essential topics such as affordability, access to credit, saving for a down payment and navigating today’s housing market.
The Unlocking Opportunity Tour is about connecting communities with the resources, knowledge and trusted experts they need to pursue homeownership.” -Colin Allen
“Homeownership is a powerful tool for building wealth and creating long-term financial security. By bringing practical information and resources directly to communities, we’re helping people turn knowledge into action and open the door to greater opportunity and a stronger financial future,” Allen said.
The panel brought together local housing and financial experts who shared practical insights, resources and guidance to help attendees navigate the path to homeownership. The event also included a special back-to-school effort, with the Alliance providing backpacks to all of the children in The Remedy Church congregation ahead of the new school year.
The tour’s next stop was Tampa, where the Alliance brought its conversation about homeownership and wealth-building to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. With a 27% Black homeownership gap in Florida, the event focused on practical steps and resources that can help more families achieve and sustain homeownership.
Allen and Purnell joined local housing and financial experts Erin Hill, Keianna “KC” Carty, Joshua Bent and Natalya A. Vasko to discuss everything from navigating the mortgage process to building generational wealth. The Alliance also honored local REALTOR® Watson “Tee” Ragin with its Golden Key Award for his commitment to advancing opportunities for property ownership in the Tampa community.
Florida Rep. Fentrice Driskell also joined the conversation, sharing her perspective on what it means to “unlock opportunity.” She emphasized three pillars: financial stability, civic participation and representation.
“I want to see us having thriving families. I want to see us not just in survival mode all the time,” Driskell said. “I want to see our families thrive. I want to see businesses, businesses that we own, in our neighborhood. That economic strength is an important pillar to unlock opportunity.”
That message is at the heart of the Unlocking Opportunity Tour. By bringing trusted experts, practical resources and local voices directly into communities, the Alliance is helping more people understand the path to homeownership and the role it can play in building long-term financial security. Through these conversations, the tour aims to close information gaps, expand access to opportunity and help more families build a stronger financial future.
