When Kenneth Bigos joined AHCOPA as their Executive Director in 2013, he set out to expand the organization’s offerings beyond first-time homeownership counseling services. He identified estate planning as an urgent need for the region’s LMI communities as well. 

A 2022 Consumer Reports survey found that 77% of Black and 82% of Hispanic Americans do not have a will in place, which is needed to ensure that their home investment continues to build generational wealth. Consequently, the state court steps in upon the owner’s passing to decide how assets will be distributed, with property not being able to be transferred to an heir until that lengthy process is complete. In Philadelphia alone, there are approximately 10,000 properties with titles that have not been legally settled. 

In response to this, AHCOPA launched the Will Power program in 2022 by leveraging existing relationships with pro-bono lawyers in the creation of wills and trusts for community members. The program has created an opportunity to serve a larger portion of Philadelphia’s population. 

While the first-time homebuyer program initially attracted people in their mid-30s, Will Power participants are generally in their late 60s, prompting AHCOPA to think about what housing support looks like across an individual’s lifetime.

“Elderly households are more vulnerable,” Bigos said. “To reach these homeowners, we had to develop relationships with trusted agencies, such as senior centers, churches and other institutions that we would not typically work with in our first-time homebuyer program.”

As a result of that  work, AHCOPA marked a major milestone in October 2025: the signing of 1,000 wills. Thanks to the success of Will Power and the first-time homebuyer program, AHCOPA has solidified its reputation as the go-to financial advisor for working-class residents. 

Looking ahead, they are planning to add a new program designed to support people beyond the initial purchase of their home, which will include coaching to help owners develop their financial literacy. This would encompass how to build savings to buy a first home and avoid foreclosure in the event of a crisis.

For Bigos, NCRC membership is key to ensuring the success of these programs, especially in terms of organizing at the federal, state and local levels advocating for continued funding. 

“Engaging with decision makers is very important and being an NCRC member has helped facilitate those relationships,” Bigos said. “Their support has been very impactful.”

Jesse Rhodes is a Contributing Writer.

Photo courtesy of the AHCOPA team.

Using a multi-pronged approach that focuses on litigation, education and advocacy efforts, EJC has provided services to more than 12 million people across a wide range of issue areas, including civil rights, health, immigration and housing. Over the past year, EJC has been focused on increasing housing options and affordability in the Rochester area, which has one of the most competitive housing markets in the country.

To create more resilient communities, EJC works with local nonprofit advocacy organizations to train Rochester community members to become affordable housing champions. Collaborators provide workshops to community members who want to learn more about discriminatory housing practices, the need for inclusive zoning changes, and how residents have fought those practices. Workshop participants then receive coaching on how to present to their town boards in support of housing.

 “Our part of the work is technical assistance and providing information so residents can effectively advocate,” said EJC’s Data Analysis and Research Manager Barbara Van Kerkhove. “We help them understand various housing and land use options and figure out what might work in their town.”

EJC also provides information that empowers people to decide how to most effectively act, such as demographic housing data, information on how to support denser housing and upzoning at the local level and a sense of how to pursue policy changes in the current political climate.

 “At town board meetings, I frequently hear from current homeowners who don’t understand what’s changed in Rochester,” said EJC’s Supervising Senior Attorney Ruhi Maker. “They just want single-family homes in their neighborhoods. But residents don’t always understand how costly it is to maintain infrastructure as housing spreads out [and] as old tax structures struggle to support more services.”

In addition, EJC ensures that area banks offer products to help aspiring homeowners sustainably afford a home mortgage. As the convener of the Greater Rochester Community Reinvestment Coalition, EJC helps banks co-design financial products that provide down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers. They are also strong advocates of banks supporting financial education training to help homebuyers become prequalified for home mortgage loans.

“Bank CEOs recognize they can learn from us to better meet their Community Reinvestment Act obligations,” said Maker. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I’ve never been so hopeful.”

Jesse Rhodes is a Contributing Writer.

Photo courtesy of the Empire Justice Center.