After 25 years as a renter and raising two children as a single mother, Diane didn’t think she would ever own a home. Living in the Chico area of Northern California, she spent decades moving between rental properties, watching rent prices climb higher and higher each year. But in 2023, Diane’s living situation took a turn for the better, thanks to her local lender, Tri Counties Bank, and the WISH program offered by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

“I didn’t really think I was in a position to buy,” Diane admits. “But with all the different programs, I was able to get into this little house, and it means the world to me.” By speaking to a lender at Tri Counties Bank, Diane found out that she qualified for select homeownership programs, including the WISH program. Designed to assist low- to moderate-income households with downpayment and closing cost assistance, the WISH program helped make Diane’s dream of homeownership a reality.

By partnering with FHLBank San Francisco, member financial institutions like Tri Counties Bank can provide 4-to-1 matching grants via the WISH program for eligible low- to moderate-income homebuyers in the communities they serve. For Diane, Tri Counties Bank played a critical role in helping her navigate a path to homeownership, including connecting her with a WISH grant. Scott Robertson, Head of Community Banking at Tri Counties Bank, underscores the importance of programs like WISH. “At Tri Counties Bank, we’re very passionate about home affordability across our entire footprint. Partnering with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and making dreams come true through the WISH program is exactly at the heart of what we do. It’s the American dream… to have a place you call home.”

Rick Gonsalves, Home Mortgage Loan Manger at Tri Counties Bank, emphasized how local lenders like Tri Counties Bank are building strategic partnerships with nonprofits and housing agencies to address today’s housing challenges and find ways to connect people to homeownership. “When you partner with the different housing counseling agencies, nonprofits, and government agencies, you’re bringing all the resources into one spot. It’s getting people into homes, which has become more challenging with rising home prices and higher interest rates.”

For Diane, the collaboration between Tri Counties Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s WISH program, and other resources made all the difference. “Wishes turned to dreams,” she reflects. “And now this is my own little home. After 25 years, this house means the world to me.”

Diane’s new home is more than just a roof over her head—it’s a chance to build a future near her family. Her son and his family lived in Paradise, California, a community 15 miles away from where she was living at the time. “I wanted to be close to him because of a new grandbaby,” Diane shared. “I didn’t want to have to drive in the dark, in the fog and the weather, so I started looking at homes in the area.” Eventually, she found just what she was looking for not far from her son and his family.

Her house is modest but perfect for her, she says. “It’s a small home, but it’s mine, you know. I love it,” she says with a smile. And with a monthly mortgage nearly $400 less than she was paying in rent, Diane finally has the financial stability she never thought possible. “My rent was going up $100 every year, and now I know exactly what I’m going to be responsible for. It’s a really secure feeling.”

For Diane, the WISH program wasn’t just a financial tool—it was a lifeline to achieve her dream. “The WISH program gave me such a wonderful amount of money to help with the down payment that it really is what helped me qualify for this home. I wouldn’t have been in this home without the WISH program.”

Today, Diane is enjoying life in her new home. With family close by, she is feeling more comfortable and settled than she has in a long time. “I love living here, and I love this house,” she says. Thanks to the WISH program, Diane’s story is a powerful reminder that with the right support, homeownership can become a reality for those that dare to WISH. To learn more about the WISH program, reach out to one of FHLBank San Francisco’s participating member financial institutions today.