"Many people dream about buying their own home, but do not believe they have the money or resources needed to do it," says State Rep. Leslie Acosta. She hopes to help give lower-income Philadelphian residents the confidence to do so.

Acosta has organized a housing expo housing expo with Brian Hudson of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Marco Ferreira of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, who will provide information about applying for mortgages and learning the rights of homeowners. There will be an opportunity for those in attendance to meet with housing counselors, and also schedule individualized counseling sessions.

"Latino home ownership rates peaked at 50 percent in 2007, but even years after the housing bust it stands at 44 percent. More than 52 percent of those polled wanted to own a home and thought it was a good investment, but 31 percent said the lack of savings was the main barrier, followed by low income and access to credit," NBC reported recently. 

The housing expo Acosta is hosting will take place Wednesday, September 16 at William Hunter Elementary School (2400 N. Front St.) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Acosta’s office at (215) 457-5281.