Building Blocks Together, a business that promotes homeownership for marginalized populations, has opened its doors at the ACES Small Business Incubator.
Headed by Virginia Rawlins, the LLC was started three years ago to help combat blight and spark community revitalization. “The mission of Building Blocks Together is to build wealth and equity for the disenfranchised communities through education, real estate ownership and development,” says Rawlins.
The City of Albany is plagued by underutilized vacant and abandoned properties. Building Blocks Together plans to purchase, rehab and sell the properties to first time homebuyers, while combating gentrification. The organization administers the Restorative Housing Justice Fund, which is dedicated to helping African Americans become homebuyers. They also offer homeownership consulting services, a 5-step process that takes people from orientation to closing on a house. “We have also hosted various homebuyer and real estate investing seminars,” she says.
Rawlins says having the business located in the incubator will be helpful. She and her staff – the organization employs 3 people – are looking forward to receiving clients onsite and hosting monthly workshops in the conference room. “The location is also centralized and will be a good starting point for grassroots community engagement,” Rawlins says. Rawlins says she and her team look forward to welcoming the community into their office, which is located in Suite 202A.
