Dina Harris, Founder and President of National Faith Home Buyers, has more than 40 years of experience in the housing industry. Dina is responsible for more than 10,000 families being able to realize the American Dream of Homeownership. Dina is married and the mother of four. Prior to creating National Faith Homebuyers Program, Dina worked in public housing serving as Deputy Director and Executive Director. She worked in public housing for 20 years establishing a successful Section 8 Program she launched and an award-winning “successfully implemented’ Drug Elimination Program recognized by HUD in a ceremony in Reno, Nevada. Her education includes studies at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI and Washtenaw Community College studying both marketing and business administration. In 2006 Ms Harris was accepted into the Harvard School of Divinity in Boston, Mass, The Community Leadership Program which she completed with a national preeminent list of mega ministers. Dina has spent the last twenty years as the Executive Director, CEO and President of the Washtenaw Home Buyers Program, Faith Community Home Buyers, and now National Faith Home Buyers. All three nonprofits merged into one organization, the National Faith Homebuyers Program. Under Dina’s leadership, National Faith has counseled in excess of 12,000 families, leading to more than 5,000 first time home purchases. Founding and successfully pioneering National Faith Homebuyers is Dina’s testament to her “walk of faith”. She has been identified and recognized for her continued track record in housing development and community service. (1) She was awarded the first “Courage Award by the Secretary of Fair Housing at HUD. (2) She has developed and sold over 700 “affordable” single-family homes since the creation of the National Faith Homebuyers housing development program in 2011. (3) National Faith Homebuyers under Dina Harris leadership was recognized by the Congressional Black Caucus during its phenomenal “WOW” program by assisting over 500 families in an 18 month period to purchase the home of their dreams. (4)National Faith Homebuyers is a HUD-approved 501©3 non-profit organization. (5) In June 2020, she launched a virtual homebuyers workshop with a monthly attendance of approximately 70-100 families currently. She continues to design and implement model programs that can be replicated across the nation. These programs help families succeed by the family’s definition of success.

 

Under her leadership, National Faith Homebuyers has managed a federal HOME and NSP down payment program on behalf of the Wayne County Government. She has successfully managed this program from 2002 to the present and has spent all funds allocated. National Faith Homebuyers under her direction has managed without blemish federal, local and statewide funds in excess of 10 Million Dollars. She has also supported and managed down payment programs in partnership with local and national banks and 5 local municipalities. Dina has replicated the success of the Detroit program by opening an Atlanta branch in 2018. National Faith Homebuyers is approved as a counseling program for the state of Georgia’s down payment assistance program. She continues to design and implement successful housing models that are replicable nationally and create successful homeowners. She has partnered with 13+ national banks, churches, local and national non-profit organizations as well as local governments/municipalities, HUD, Fannie Mae, National Community Stabilization Trust and Fannie Mae.

 

National Faith Homebuyers has awarded mortgage-free homes to veteran families (2014-2019) in unique and creative processes, most often surprising the families with a “mortgage-free” home. She has formed partnerships with Little Caesar’s Pizza to provide a home during a Bowl football game at the Detroit Lions stadium and has also provided a home during a Detroit Pistons game during halftime in partnership with the Detroit Pistons. She hosted over 200 guests from the program during the game. Her other partners assisting in providing “mortgage-free” homes for veterans include Chase Bank, Wayne County Government, Radio One and the UAW. These videos can be seen on YouTube or on the National Faith Homebuyers website: nationalfaith.org.