WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) with the support of Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) and its other sponsors and partners commemorates National Homeownership Month with the Sixth Annual DC Housing Expo and Home Show: "Welcome Home," from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

This free event enables DHCD to continuously strive to honor its mission to create and preserve opportunities for affordable housing and economic development and to revitalize underserved communities in the District of Columbia. This year the Housing Expo will feature over 100 housing related exhibitors providing on site housing information, including but not limited to: home purchase assistance, financial literacy, new affordable housing developments, energy efficient products, incentive retrofit programs, decoration and remodeling ideas and home improvement specialists. In addition, residents can receive free credit reports and one-on-one foreclosure and credit counseling. 

"We are so excited about the additions we have made at this year's expo. With so many seniors in Washington, DC retiring and moving to fixed incomes senior housing has become a priority for the Mayor and this agency – so we had to have a portion of the expo dedicated exclusively to them," said Michael P. Kelly, DHCD Director. "Also, being a good financial manager is a mandatory skill set to have any age or income level, so we are pleased to be able to spend time educating our attendees on how financial management leads to successful, prosperous futures."

Also newly added this year is the Home Show section with "how to tips" for current home owners to find innovative products; home improvement specialists; gardening products; hundreds of experts from windows to flooring to cabinets and landscaping The Virtual Café is a selection of video games geared towards teaching teens how to make the right financial decisions. This is also an opportunity for students to earn community service hours.

"This Housing Expo is GWUL's 6th year in partnership with DHCD and we are proud to be working with an organization that has the mutual desire to offer economic empowerment and stability to our residents in the community. The Expo offers a centralized location for DC Metro area residents to meet with experts who can be a resource to help them become homeowners in the District; obtain a credit report or receive foreclosure intervention education/counseling," stated Mr. George H. Lambert, Jr., President and CEO GWUL. He continued by saying, "We are excited about featuring, the Home Show, a  new platform for existing homeowners to have the chance to explore a wide range of new products, better interior design ideas and upcoming trends relevant in the home repair industry allowing us to assist a wider range our residents."

The featured guest speaker is Kelvin Boston who is a respected financial journalist, public speaker and best-selling author and has been referred to as an "out-spoken voice for economic empowerment." Other guests include; DHCD Director Michael P. Kelly, GWUL President and CEO, George H. Lambert, Jr., Renowned Chef Huda, ABC's The Taste contestant and representatives from the HUD Field Office.

The event is proudly sponsored by: Bank of America, Bank on DC, Capital One Bank, DC Department of Housing and Community Development, DC Housing and Finance Agency, DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, Greater Washington Urban League, HEW Federal Credit Union, HomeFree USA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Wells Fargo.

Media seeking interviews with the DHCD Director, DHCD or GWUL spokesperson, should coordinate with the media contact(s) listed above as soon as possible.

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The Sixth Annual Housing Expo and Home Show…."Welcome Home" … is brought to you by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development and the Government of the District of Columbia, Vincent C. Gray, Mayor, in partnership with the Greater Washington Urban League and a host of other partners and sponsors.