LGBT people and their families have special needs pertaining to financial planning and asset building. The Center offers a variety of programs and workshops throughout the year to help the LGBT community get the information they need to make sound decisions about managing their resources.

First-time Homebuyer Program
Stop renting and start owning!

The Center now offers free, first-time homebuyer educational workshops designed to inform community members about the entire home buying process and to prepare and certify people to obtain a mortgage to purchase their first home.

The first-time homebuyer workshop is a necessary step for low- to moderate-income homebuyers to qualify for down-payment assistance available through the Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH).

Upon completion of the homebuyer education, community members will be eligible to apply for a variety of homebuyer assistance programs including free, one-on-one counseling, and other programs available through MOH.

First-time homebuyer workshops are taught by nationally certified homeownership instructors and they provide in-depth information on the following topics:

· Your readiness to buy a home
· Financial benefits of owning a home
· Managing your money
· Understanding credit
· Obtaining a mortgage loan
· Shopping for a home
· Protecting your investment

Participants who complete the program will be paired with a professional housing counselor who will assist them with a personal action plan. Individual counseling services ensure that community members fully understand the home purchase process and can make informed decisions.

The Center works with a variety of partners to move community members toward homeownership including San Francisco's Mayor's Office of Housing, HomeownershipSF, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco.

For more information about the First-Time Homebuyer Program, please call our homeownership program consultant at 415-626-8281.

Financial Literacy Workshops and Seminars.

The Center offers a variety of workshops designed to help LGBT individuals and LGBT-headed families develop their capacity for financial management, financial planning, and asset-building, in a context that recognizes the particular legal and economic challenges that same-sex couples and their families face around finances. Topics include: managing debt, achieving financial independence, saving effectively, preparing to purchase a home, retiring on your own terms, and avoiding tax pitfalls.

"The presenter was clear and explained everything really well and slowly! Also, she didn't assume that we knew anything and didn't pass judgment on any questions or lack of knowledge." - Workshop Attendee

LGBT Economic Empowerment Day
LGBT Economic Empowerment Day is an annual full-day event consisting of expert panelists, diverse financial workshops, and a trade show. The event brings together community members of all ages, in differing financial stages in their lives, to promote financial literacy, growth, and self-sufficiency. The day consists of three separate learning tracks.

· First Act addresses the financial needs of low income and young community members.
· Second Act provides sessions geared toward professionals who need to develop strategies to secure their assets.
· Encore addresses financial planning issues and the concerns of seniors and soon-to-be retirees.

The fourth annual LGBT Economic Empowerment Day is planned for January 2011.

Important Websites

Mayors Office of Housing - The Mayor's Office of Housing provides financing for the development, rehabilitation and purchase of affordable housing in San Francisco.

HomeownershipSF - HomeownershipSF serves as a centralized resource for affordable homeownership opportunities in San Francisco. HomeownershipSF makes the homebuying process easier for first-time homebuyers by combining information on workshops, homes and loans in one convenient online location.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service -- Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco (CCCS) is a non-profit service and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). CCCS is certified by HUD to provide comprehensive housing counseling services. CCCS helps consumers achieve financial independence through debt reduction, homeownership, and improved money management skills.

QueerCents - Queercents is a syndicate of personal finance writers serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Financial tips and insights are aggregated daily from the distinct voices of several money writers.

Mint.com - Mint.com is a safe, secure, free online money management system.

AnnualCreditReport - AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act).

California Department of Real Estate - The mission of the California Department of Real Estate is to safeguard and promote the public interests in real estate matters through licensure, regulation, education and enforcement. Check here to see if your agent is licensed.

Bankrate.com - Bankrate.com, provides free rate information to consumers on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees. You can view current mortgage rates by zip code.