Tobias Harris partners with Homium to bring a new path to homeownership to Detroit—no monthly payments, just a fair, sustainable way for families to build equity and stay rooted in their communities. This initiative is made possible through the support of generous sponsors and is actively welcoming additional partners.
Join Tobias in expanding access to homeownership—one family, one neighborhood at a time.
Tobias Harris: Champion for Detroit
Tobias Harris created this initiative to make homeownership a reality for the families powering Detroit’s comeback. Designed around shared appreciation financing and tailored to the city’s housing dynamics, it gives working families the chance to buy in.
With early support from his former Pistons teammate Jon Leuer and team owner Tom Gores, Harris is proving that lasting change starts with ownership.
NBA Veteran
Community Focus
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Homium Shared Appreciation Mortgages
Revolutionary home financing with no monthly payments.
THHI partners with Homium to offer Shared Appreciation Mortgages (SAMs)—a fair, transparent second-lien loan that adds a silent partner to the traditional mortgage stack. This preferred equity-style down payment assistance makes homeownership more affordable for working families and aligns incentives for long-term community growth.
No Monthly Burden
Zero Monthly Payments
SAMs eliminate monthly payment burden, allowing families to allocate income toward other financial goals and reducing default risk.
Aligned Incentives
1:1 Shared Growth Model
When homes appreciate, borrowers share the same percentage with THHI as the percentage of the home they borrowed at origination, creating sustainable funding for future families.
Local Impact
Detroit-First Focus
This program is designed to serve working-class families and individuals, targeting current or former residents of Wayne County earning $45,000+ annually.
Why THHI Matters
Stability and Financial Security
Homeownership reduces housing instability. With no monthly payments, SAMs help families avoid displacement and free up income for savings and essentials.
Health and Wellness
Stable housing improves physical and mental health. Homeowners have control over their living conditions, creating safer and healthier spaces.
Better Educational Outcomes
Kids in owned homes perform better in school and are more likely to graduate. Parents with home equity can invest more in their children's future.
Community Roots
Homeowners build deeper ties to their neighborhoods—attending school meetings, maintaining their homes, and supporting local institutions.
Generational Wealth
SAMs help families build equity. That equity becomes a foundation for future down payments, businesses, and education.
A Self-Sustaining Model
As home values rise, Homium recycles returns into new loans, creating a compounding, long-term engine for equitable homeownership.
Built for Impact
Homium's tech-driven model uses grant and PRI capital to unlock private mortgage funding for eligible first-time buyers. Our platform tracks results in real time—SAMs issued, homeowners served, and equity built—and keeps costs lower than traditional DPA programs. Every home we finance creates ripples of impact across families, neighborhoods, and generations.
Who We're Here For
THHI is designed to serve the people who serve Detroit.
Teachers & Educators
Those shaping the city's future—inside classrooms and beyond.
Nurses, caregivers, and support staff who care for our families.
Government & Public Employees
From bus drivers to clerks—those who keep the city running.
Working-Class Families
People rooted in Detroit—current or former Wayne County residents ready to become first-time homeowners.
Eligible Detroit Neighborhoods
THHI serves families across Wayne County's diverse communities, focusing on areas with strong potential for sustainable growth.
48214
Riverfront
Detroit, MI
48205
Eastern Market
Detroit, MI
48206
Corktown
Detroit, MI
48208
Southwest Detroit
Detroit, MI
48228
Redford
Detroit, MI
48207
East English Village
Detroit, MI
48227
Inkster
Detroit, MI
48224
Warrendale
Detroit, MI
48221
Grandmont
Detroit, MI
9 Priority Neighborhoods
Interested current or former Wayne County first time homebuyers should reach out to a Guild Mortgage originator to learn more about program eligibility.
Making down payment assistance work—for families and communities.
The Platform
Homium powers THHI with a fair, no-monthly-payment second-lien loan that helps working families afford homes. Borrowers can qualify for conforming first mortgages, avoid PMI, and get the support needed to buy their first home.
How it works
Homeowners receive a Shared Appreciation Mortgage (SAM) with no interest, fees, or monthly payments. When they sell or refinance, they repay a fixed share of the home's value—keeping costs low and upside intact.
Why It Matters
Homium lowers the barrier to homeownership while helping families build wealth and stay rooted. As loans repay, funds are recycled to support more first-time buyers—creating lasting community impact.
Transparent & Impact-Driven
Homium tracks and reports social outcomes, wealth creation, and program performance—giving funders clear insight into their impact.
THHI is looking for mission-aligned non-profits, social impact investors, foundations, municipalities, governments, and first-mile partners to continue to advance housing affordability in Detroit.
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