Landed is excited to share two important updates this February. The first is we have kicked off pilots to begin serving government employees. Second, we no longer require prospective customers to have worked at their current employer for two years in order to participate in the down payment program.
It was just four short months ago that we shared we were expanding our mission of helping educators buy homes to include helping healthcare workers too. While we knew that step was one that would help us support more of the incredibly important essential professionals who are upholding our communities each and every day, we also knew we needed to do more. And quickly.
I’m thrilled to share that we have several pilot programs underway for government employees –– from our city firefighters and transportation workers, to others in the public-sector working to keep our communities safe, clean, and vibrant.
For now, we are working with a select group of municipalities and communities, and we are committed to help all those they employ so that we can have the most impact and abundantly live our purpose –– to uphold those who uphold us.
We started Landed knowing so many of the folks whose life’s work is dedicated to serving others couldn’t access homeownership and build a sense of permanence in the communities they serve. Think about that –– every community relies on a core group of people, from educators and EMTs, to firefighters and nurses. Yet these valued community members can’t afford to put down roots there. For example, assuming a 20% down payment, a homebuyer needs to put down more than $100,000 in order to purchase a median-priced home in six of the U.S.’s major metropolitan areas!
This makes saving enough money for a home a decades-long struggle for teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other essential city employees who often put serving others before high-paying salaries. To date, our Landed down payment program has helped more than 500 families move into a neighborhood they love, in the community where they teach, heal, and help others.
And we can’t wait to help more.
That’s why while we were looking outward to see who else we could help, we also realized we needed to look inward and continue to improve what we offer those looking to partner with us.
Up until now, we required those who partnered with us for our down payment program to have two years of work experience in their field. Going forward, we’ve decided to allow those new to their fields or employers to take part right away. We believe this is an important part of us helping essential professionals build financial security and live in the communities they serve and love.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to expand and launch new partnerships with government officials. If you are interested in bringing Landed’s down payment program and other services to an institution that you’re associated with, please let us know!
