Homeowner Advocacy Group Kicks off Membership Drive

A new groups billing itself as an AARP for homeowners has announced it is accepting members.  The group, America's Homeowner Alliance, says its aim is "to serve as the voice for the nation's 75 million existing homeowners as well as for aspiring homeowners, and claims as its advisory members a group of individuals with backgrounds in a wide range of housing industry areas.

The non-profit Alliance said in a press release that its mission is to protect and promote sustainable homeownership for all segments of America and that it will analyze, educate, and involve homeowners in major issues surrounding sustainable homeownership. 

The organization plans to center its initial advocacy activities on a number of policy issues including defending the mortgage interest deduction, maintaining availability of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, addressing the lack of new home construction financing, protecting home values, and reducing what it called government domination of mortgage credit.

Membership includes a shopping program affiliated with major companies such as Sears and Home Depot.  Members can earn "points" for shopping with the program affiliates. 

The organization was founded by Phil Bracken who is described as a "35-year veteran of the housing industry" and recipient of awards from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers and the Mortgage Bankers Association.  Other officers and advisory group members have past or present affiliations with such companies, organizations, or agencies as the National Urban League, Ginnie Mae, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Quicken Loans, and the Consumer Federation of America.

Tino Diaz, Alliance President, said the group will "focus on examining the policies of both government and private entities so that we can serve as an 'ombudsman' for homeowners, providing protection from abusive or bad practices in the marketplace."