The South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race is excited to announce that we are increasing two of our Wealth Gap Equalizer Loans (WGEL) from $7,500 to $15,000. This change comes in response to rising housing costs in our towns and is designed to make homebuying more attainable for Black and non-White Hispanic families.

WGEL is a special purpose, no-interest, unsecured loan program aimed at narrowing the racial wealth and homeownership gap. These loans provide ready cash to help buyers compete in today’s housing market—covering down payments, closing costs, legal fees, or supplemental purchase offer funds.

Loan highlights:

• Up to $15,000, interest-free and unsecured

• No penalties for early repayment

• Up to 50% forgiveness after five years of residency (for South Orange purchases)

• No asset collateral required

South Orange and Maplewood are among the few communities taking intentional steps to address racial equity in housing. We believe that equitable access to homeownership is essential to maintaining and strengthening our racially integrated towns.

Learn more or apply today:
WGEL Introduction - ChooseSOMA
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].

Let’s invest in integration—one home at a time.