The Field Order 15 Fund Works to Fulfill an Abandoned Promise
The Field Order 15 Fund is a reparative lending and grant program in Washington state launched by HomeSight in partnership with the Black Home Initiative (BHI).
Since January 2024, the Field Order 15 Fund has worked to close the racial wealth and homeownership gaps by empowering Black and BIPOC developers to build affordable housing.
The program is named after Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1865 Special Field Order No. 15, the origin of the "40 acres and a mule" promise.
The financing this fund provides has resulted in nearly 800 homes entering the development pipeline across Western Washington.
What we're watching: The Charles Mitchell & George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action
The Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush study on Reparative Action (the Reparations Study) will have an interim report publicly available in advance of the upcoming state legislative session.
The Reparations Study was funded in 2025 by the Washington State Legislature for $300,000 to examine the historical and enduring harms resulting from United States chattel slavery with a focus on the territory which became Washington State.
In an information session on October 9th, Dr. Gardner noted that “each of our project teams have been putting their heads down" as they are writing and preparing the Interim report.
Inside Washington's Starter Home Plan: What Practitioners and Advocates Need to Know
Washington families are ready to buy starter homes. The problem is we're simply not building them fast enough. Home values in Washington are increasing faster than median incomes, and the number of new starter homes being built has slowed dramatically compared to previous decades. In short: demand is not the barrier to homeownership. Supply is. That is why the Washington State Legislature called for a comprehensive strategy to address the housing crisis through increasing production of affordable homes. Enter the Washington Starter Home Plan (SHP), facilitated by Civic Commons, in partnership with the Black Home Initiative. On September 23, attendees of the WA Homeownership Resource Council’s Spotlight Series received a detailed update on the SHP. Read the full recap here.
Four Ways Buying a Home Will Change your Financial Life.
From short-term financial stability to long-term generational wealth, homeownership is the number one way to reach your economic goals.