Housing Opportunity Program
Ambassadors for Cities Program
Successful Ambassadors Programs
When housing costs are within the reach of the workforce, neighborhoods grow stronger and more marketable. When public service employees are close to their jobs, government performance improves.
The National Association of REALTORS® and the U.S. Conference of Mayors joined forces in 2003 to promote home ownership and affordable housing opportunities for all segments of the market. REALTORS® already considered themselves ambassadors for cities, neighborhoods, and communities. For new residents or potential homeowners, they often serve as the first point of contact to the city’s residential districts.
Mayors saw a chance for their cities to benefit from what REALTORS® do naturally, and the new program took off. Each year, exemplary REALTOR® associations and cities receive Ambassadors for Cities designations and $5,000 awards to foster their initiatives.
Stories of eight particularly successful Ambassador cities follow. They illustrate only a few of the diverse programs that REALTORS® and mayors have launched. The REALTOR® associations in these cities all stand ready to share their formulas for success with other associations.
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- Download the Complete Ambassadors for Cities Publication
- Table of Contents
- Many Roads Lead to an Affordable Community. A surprising number of families cannot afford a decent place to live. REALTOR® associations and mayors are working together to alleviate these families’ suffering.
- Find a Market for Vacant City-Owned Properties. REALTORS® in Baltimore worked with the city to create SCOPE (Selling City-Owned Properties Efficiently), a program that moves city-seized vacant properties to market using REALTORS®’ own multiple listing service.
- Learn to Recognize Opportunity When You See It. REALTOR® associations in Memphis, Iowa City, and Cincinnati have taught home buying skills to low-income prospects, educated them about assistance programs, and familiarized their own members with the needs of these buyers and neighborhoods where they can find homes.
- Help Qualified Buyers Close the Financial Gap. In Charlottesville, San Diego, and Cincinnati, REALTORS® have launched financial assistance programs to attack the problem of housing affordability at its most basic level: the gap between what people can afford and prices on the market.
- Take Home Building into Your Own Hands. REALTORS® in Orlando and Boulder increased the supply of affordable housing in their communities by building their own.
- Map of All Ambassadors Designees
For further information, contact
Wendy Penn
Housing Initiatives Representative
National Association of REALTORS®
500 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
202/383-7504
