For Princess Good, being able to make a cup of tea in her own home has been a lifelong goal. It’s a dream that became a reality last summer when she and her husband Malcolm closed on a Cohoes townhouse.

“Saying ‘I am the landlord, we are the landlord,’ it’s just awesome,” Good said.

A year ago, becoming first-time homeowners seemed like a pretty daunting task. Good is currently in law school, and her husband is a mail carrier. As they hit the market to see what was available, they learned about a grant from the Restorative Housing Justice Fund.

“In hindsight, it was actually very helpful, a major step in the process for us because it gave us those extra funds that we needed,” Good said.

They are one of several people across the Capital Region to receive money last year from the Touhey Home Ownership Foundation. It aims to help first-time African American homebuyers in the Capital Region become homeowners.

“Lack of access to capital, resources … minority communities anyway might not necessarily have savings,” said Virginia Rawlins, the president of Building Blocks Together.

It’s the organization that received the $1 million award from the Touhey Foundation to be distributed to the community. She says this grant aligns with what her organization has been doing since it was founded in 2018: helping people from disenfranchised communities become homeowners.

“It’s just kind of the reason for starting it right: giving minority communities access to wealth through real estate,” Rawlins said.

Rawlins, who is also a real estate agent, says the fund has helped about 90 homebuyers so far. Those buying a home in Albany can receive up to $10,000. Up to $5,000 can be allocated for other Capital Region cities affected by redline policies.

The Goods hope to get the word out and let others know about programs like this and others available for first-time home buyers. They say having this opportunity is a step in the right direction.

“Purchasing a home as a young Black couple was actually achievable through this grant … actually gave us hope, but also sends a message to the Black community that there is hope in purchasing a home,” Good said.