By Kenneth Scott, Guest Columnist
For generations, homeownership has been one of the most powerful tools for building wealth, stabilizing families, and strengthening communities. Yet today, many Black families in Detroit are finding themselves locked out of opportunities their parents and grandparents fought hard to obtain.
The numbers tell a troubling story.
In 1970, Black homeownership in the City of Detroit reached its peak at nearly 60%. That represented more than just families purchasing homes – it represented stability, legacy, pride, and wealth creation within Black neighborhoods.
Now, 56 years later, Black homeownership in Detroit has fallen to an alarming 40%.
That 20-point decline should concern every resident, elected official, financial institution, church leader, and community organization invested in the future of our city.
If we are serious about revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods, reducing wealth disparities, and creating stronger families, we must make increasing Black homeownership a top priority.
June is National Homeownership Month and was created in 2002 to celebrate the value of owning a home and highlight housing initiatives. That is why on Saturday, June 27, 2026, during National Homeownership Month, we are hosting the Detroit Home Buyers Club National Homeownership Month Celebration—a powerful event designed to connect aspiring homeowners directly with the financial resources they need to purchase homes affordably.
This event will create a rare and much-needed forum where banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, and housing organizations can directly engage with potential homebuyers and promote:
- Mortgage loan programs
- Down payment assistance grants
- Down payment assistance loans
- First-time homebuyer products
- Credit improvement resources
- Financial literacy tools
- Homebuyer counseling services
Attendees will possibly gain access to down payment assistance grants and loans up to $60,000:
- City Of Detroit – $25,000 Grant
- MSHDA’s – $10,000
- Local Financial Institution Grants – Up To $25,000
Too often, prospective buyers believe homeownership is out of reach because they lack information—not ambition.
Many families don’t realize there are thousands of dollars available in grants, affordable mortgage products, and specialized lending programs designed specifically to help make homeownership possible.
Our mission is simple: remove barriers and replace them with opportunity.
A Career Built on Housing Advocacy
My commitment to housing and community development has been the work of his life.
For more than 45 years, I’ve remained deeply committed to community service and neighborhood engagement.
With over 28 years in real estate sales, I’ve have helped families navigate one of the most important financial decisions of their lives while building strong client relationships and sharpening the negotiation skills needed to create successful outcomes.
For more than 20 years, Ken Scott has led brokerage teams and served in supervisory management roles that helped real estate professionals better serve their communities.
For over 23 years, Ken Scott has worked in housing counseling. education and case management —guiding individuals and families through the complexities of renting, purchasing, foreclosure prevention, and long-term housing stability.
Ken Scott is proud to have served as:
- Former President of the Detroit Association of Realtors in 2004
- Former President of the Greater Detroit Realtist Association in 2023–2024
- Housing Committee Chairman for the Western Wayne County NAACP
- Former 1st Vice President of the City of Detroit 12th Precinct Police Community Relations Committee
Today, Ken Scott serves as a HUD Certified Housing Counselor and Executive Director of the Detroit Homeownership Center CDC, where his work focuses on helping families access safe, affordable housing and pathways to sustainable homeownership.
Launching the Detroit Home Buyers Club
In 2025, Ken Scott launched the Detroit Home Buyers Club as both a lifeline and a leadership pipeline for aspiring homeowners.
Our motto is:
“Where Preparation Meets Opportunity”
Every third Saturday of the month at the Northwest Campus of Wayne County Community College District General Arts Building, the Detroit Home Buyers Club (Detroit Homeownership Center CDC) hosts a 5 hour HUD Approved Housing Counseling Class that prepares future home buyers for homeownership success.
We help participants:
- Gather financial documents
- Open checking accounts
- Create household budgets and savings strategies
- Improve credit scores
- Build financial discipline
- Become mortgage-ready
- Access down payment assistance grants and loans
- Shopping for a home
- Making an offer
- Getting a Private Home Inspection
- Insuring the home
- Closing on your new home
Our goal is bold but achievable:
- Create more than 100 new homeowners in Detroit annually.
- Because when families own homes, neighborhoods become stronger.
- Children benefit from greater stability.
- Communities experience less displacement.
- And generational wealth becomes possible.
The Black Church Must Be Part of the Solution
One of the most exciting initiatives we’ve launched is the Black Homeownership & The Black Church Initiative (BHBCI). For generations, the Black church has served as the cornerstone of our communities. Today, that same influence can help close the racial homeownership gap.
BHBCI brings together clergy leaders from:
- Baptist congregations
- Church of God in Christ (COGIC) congregations
- African Methodist Episcopal Church congregations
- Non-denominational congregations
These faith leaders are united in promoting homeownership education within their congregations and helping members pursue economic empowerment through real estate ownership.
This is a ministry in action.
For the past two years, Ken Scott has also partnered with Detroit Public Schools Community District through its Parent Academy, where he has conducted numerous homeownership education sessions for parents—who in most cases are generational renters – understand that homeownership is not just possible, but achievable.
Because stable housing creates stable students. When parents own homes, children benefit. Families thrive. Communities are stabilized and strengthened.
Why Financial Institutions Must Step Up
Banks and lenders operating in Detroit must become more visible and more intentional.
They are governed by the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) to have products that can help minority families become homeowners—but too many residents don’t know these products exist.
Our June 27 National Homeownership Month Celebration gives financial institutions the opportunity to meet qualified future homeowners face-to-face while demonstrating their commitment to Detroit’s economic future.
This is more than marketing. This is community investment. This is neighborhood revitalization. This is racial wealth equity.
Join Detroit Home Buyers Club on June 27, because the future of Black wealth in Detroit depends on ownership. Not just renting. Not just surviving. But owning. Owning homes. Owning neighborhoods. Owning our future.
On Saturday, June 27, we invite aspiring homeowners, community leaders, clergy, mortgage lenders, real estate professionals, and elected officials to join us for the Detroit Home Buyers Club National Homeownership Month Celebration.
Together, we can reverse the decline in Black homeownership and build a stronger Detroit for future generations. The time is now. And the door to homeownership must be opened wider than ever before.
Written by Kenneth Scott, Guest Columnist, who serves as Executive Director of the Detroit Homeownership Center CDC and Founder of the Detroit Home Buyers Club. Scott is a housing advocate and community leader focused on promoting homeownership opportunities in Detroit.
