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Press > Press Releases > Single mother of 5 named "Unsung Hero"

Single mother of 5 named "Unsung Hero"

Novato, CA, February 2, 2009

The State of California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing, in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of civil rights laws in our state, is recognizing Laura Levine of Novato as an Unsung Hero for her efforts to ensure equal rights to housing for all people.

In 1998, a single mother of five sons was struggling to find a home for her family.  Landlords looked askance, thinking the antics of several small children were more risk to a property than the rent was worth.   Landlords’ rejection of her efforts to secure housing was crippling to this single mother who was the sole support of these 5 young boys.  A lesser woman might have given up the battle, but Levine looked for armor instead. 

Desperate, Levine turned to Fair Housing of Marin.  “I was extremely fortunate when Fair Housing of Marin stepped in, educated me in understanding my rights, and made it possible for me to find a home,” Levine remembers.  “Eventually I was able to buy a home of our own, in the town where I work.”

Eleven years later, no one dismisses Laura Levine or the organizations she represents.  As a Real Estate Broker for several organizations, Levine is a force to be reckoned with, a powerful advocate for housing for everyone and every income level.

Having won her battle to become a homeowner, Levine turned her focus to others in similar situations.  She heard about Northbay Family Homes (NFH), a nonprofit organization that has been in the business of building workforce housing for 30 years.  In 2002 she joined NFH and utilized their CASA Home Loans to help local workforce families to become homeowners.  She has since risen to COO and Vice President of the corporation.  Since 2004, with the support of the Marin Community Foundation, Laura and the NFH team have helped more than 500 locally-employed families and individuals to buy their first home in the North Bay.

Levine now makes helping workforce families to buy homes her life’s work.  In 2006, with the collaboration of the employer community, Laura and NFH created Employers Empowering Homeownership®.  EEH® is a program that teaches employers how they can profit and flourish by helping their employees buy their own homes that are near their places of work.  “Particularly in the North Bay, employee turnover is an expensive problem for employers,” Levine explains.  “When people locate work closer to their affordable homes outside the North Bay area, they leave their North Bay jobs.  The same money a North Bay company spends on recruitment and retraining, can be spent on helping employees to buy homes that are near the lucrative job site.  The employee has a shorter commute, the employer has a happier and more loyal employee – it’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Levine and NFH insist that home loans be structured so they are sustainable as long term, fixed rate loan commitments.  Levine serves on the board of directors of Fair Housing of Marin to support Fair Housing’s critical role in our community.    “Without the efforts of Fair Housing in our communities, many more people outside the reach of opportunity would be turned away, unsheltered,” Levine said.  “There is so much more that needs to be done.”

To support Fair Housing of Marin or Northbay Family Homes, Laura Levine’s contact information is:  Laura@nfh.org or (415) 382-2533 or Fair Housing at (415) 457-5025.