The birdSEED Housing Justice Program
Our favorite bird (shhh…don’t tell the others), birdSEED, is currently accepting down payment grant applications! This round of applications is due at midnight on May 31st, 2022, so if you know someone who is in need of resources like this, please invite them to consider applying via birdSEED’s housing justice program.
The birdSEED Foundation was created so we could action rapid philanthropy and contribute to reparative justice. The acquisition of wealth-generating assets like property and the ability to pass them on to future generations were, by design, deliberately kept out of reach for our BIPOC neighbors. We believe that anyone in the real estate industry should be deeply disturbed by the historic, systemic racism that has fueled profits for some while excluding many. We profit from properties, but housing is not yet a guaranteed human right; we can all work to right this.
Our housing justice program offers no-strings-attached down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first-time homebuyers in the District. Our application process is intentionally straightforward and low-barrier so that we can very simply… help people buy homes. Our hope is that contributing to reparative justice in an industry that has historically, purposefully excluded BIPOC Americans will help shift the conversation and invite those who have benefited from the exclusion of others to consider their responsibility. And we don’t want it to take ages, because enough time has passed already. We lean into rapid philanthropy and get money into the hands of people the day they close on their forever homes.
In our first year, we awarded a total of $155,000 in 18 provisional grants. Four homes have been purchased by grantees so far (with a couple more on the way!) and we’ve grown our dedicated advisory board, as well as incorporated 501(c)3 status so we can expand our wing print.
Flock continues to cover 100% of birdSEED's operating costs, which means every dollar donated goes straight into the down payment grant pool. If you're positioned to give, please do. Needs are great, resources are limited, and your help is essential. Together, we can work towards repairing an unjust past and plant seeds for a brighter, more just future.