PORCH Initiative seeks to help prospective homebuyers in effort to revitalize South Cape Girardeau

This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Monica Waldon's name.

Prospective homebuyers sat with representatives of real estate and lending institutions at a dinner sponsored by the PORCH Initiative on Thursday, Nov. 17, at Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau.

Tameka Randle, Cape Girardeau City Council member and executive director of PORCH — which stands for People Organized to Revitalize Community Healing — said the goal of the evening was to connect people wanting to buy a house with those who can help make that happen.

"Our purpose is to partner with the community and to focus on homeownership," Randle said. "We wanted to bring everyone together like this because people have better conversations sitting at the dinner table."

At one table, prospective homebuyers Brandi and Joel Hamlin spoke with Lois Long of Edge Realty and Monica Waldon from Montgomery Bank. Brandi Hamlin said they've outgrown the house they are renting.

"Our family is growing; we have five kids and a grandchild on the way," Brandi Hamlin said. "We just want something of our own that's big enough for us."

She said she and her family have lived in the "Deep South" side of Cape Girardeau for the last 10 years, and she came to Thursday's dinner to learn the steps to buying a house. Her husband agreed and said they were looking for a safe place to call home.

Long and Waldon walked the Hamlins — who were among about 60 people who attended the event — through some of the steps to owning a home, such as getting prequalified for a loan, working with a real estate agent and setting up inspections and appraisals. Waldon said a bank can help find ways to improve credit scores to be eligible for greater loan amounts. She also encouraged them to find a real estate agent to work with.

Brandi and Joel Hamlin, prospective homebuyers, attend a dinner sponsored by the PORCH Initiative on Thursday, Nov. 17, at Shawnee Park Center, seeking information regarding buying their first home.Danny Walter

"Because, if you're looking for houses on your own on the internet, or you see one driving around town, by the time you see it, it's likely to have already sold," Waldon said. "But if you have a real estate agent, you can tell them what you're looking for and what part of town you want to look at. As soon as they hear about a house that matches what you're looking for, they immediately think of you, and call you before it even hits the market."

Randle talked about how the goal of PORCH is to revitalize South Cape Girardeau. She said PORCH has three pillars: housing, education and wellness. She said they've been able to solidify the education and wellness pillars but housing is not an easy piece.

"Everyone is trying to find the key to housing," Randle said. "That's why we've partnered with these great organizations to help us do that. That's how you become strong and build a community, is to work together."

Randle said PORCH has some funding from a private gift to help people get over the barriers to buying and keeping a home.

"Things like repairs needed to a house right when you move in, and we don't want inspections to be a barrier," Randle said. "For some people, that $200 or $300 for a home inspection can be a barrier to taking the process to the next level."

Randle said PORCH and all the sponsors at the event were there to offer possible options.

"You have to see what's the right fit for you," Randle told attendees. "Talk to a few people here tonight and see what feels right."

Tamara Buck, chairwoman and professor of Mass Media at Southeast Missourian State University and board president of PORCH, talks to prospective homebuyers during a dinner sponsored by PORCH on Thursday, Nov. 17, at Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau.Danny Walter

In order to qualify for PORCH funding, Randle said applicants need to be first-time homebuyers, the house they buy needs to be within the South Cape Girardeau boundary and they also need to be PORCH board approved. The application for PORCH funding also listed other qualifying factors. Randle said the funding is given on a case-by-case basis.

Tamara Buck, chairwoman and professor of Mass Media at Southeast Missourian State University and board president of PORCH, said the organization wants revitalization without gentrification. She said she wants the houses in South Cape Girardeau to be bought by families, not landlords.

"What we don't want is for the poor people to be swept out, because, where would they go?" Buck said. "There are not a whole lot of places with affordable housing in Cape. This area has affordable housing. We just have to work together to help people who don't have the knowledge. We want to give the knowledge and the help they need to get through the process."

Buck said the South Cape Girardeau area is one of the oldest and poorest parts of the community. Randle agreed and said, "When we talk to people about South Cape, it's always negative. I want to be able to say, 'I helped this family get a house and we worked with this bank and this real estate agent.' People will hear that and start to think better about South Cape."

"We want to bring back the homeowners," Buck said. "We believe that homeowners will improve property values, which are depressed because of the area. People will have more social ownerships so they will care more about what happens in their community because they have a stake in it now."

Sustainability is another goal of the PORCH Initiative, and Buck said they were going to keep in touch with the homeowners.

"We want them to get the house and keep the house. This doesn't work if they can't stay," Buck said. "The first two years can be really hard for a new homeowner. We're going keep asking them if they're OK, see what they need help navigating. PORCH is bookending the process. We're on the front end helping people buy a house, but we're also on the back end helping them sustain their homeownership."

Randle said the whole point of Thursday's event was building relationships with people that can help others achieve the goal of homeownership.

"That's why PORCH is here," Randle said. "If you can become a homeowner, you've changed the whole trajectory of your life, and the lives of your children and grandchildren."