For 19 years, Solita’s House has been a pillar in the Tampa, FL community by bridging the housing gap through a range of counseling and education programming that is designed to get residents “mortgage ready.”
“It’s really about [helping] people understand the connection between the programs that are available in their area and how to take advantage of that so they don’t leave any money on the table,” said CEO and co-founder of Solita’s House Aidza Antonio Thomas.
Thomas has credited her experiences as a single mother attempting to become a homeowner with showing her just how important this work is and inspiring her to start Solita’s House.
“It’s so empowering to know that the door that I’m opening up is my door,” said Thomas. “It just did everything for me as a single mom, and it took me a minute to even believe that I could do it…I want everyone to have that same feeling.”
Since its inception in 2006, Solita’s House has grown to offer a range of financial counseling and education programs and initiatives serving thousands of Tampans. One particularly noteworthy program has been the Dare to Own the Dream Homeownership program (DARE), which provides down payment assistance to qualifying individuals.
Historical factors like redlining – the practice of pushing marginalized and working class residents out of neighborhoods by denying loans – have made the prospect of homeownership more challenging for BIPOC communities. Thomas’s keen and intimate understanding of those challenges because she has faced them herself is at the core of the innovative solutions Solita’s House provides to their clients.
“The only thing that separates me from a client is the table between us,” said Thomas. “I use my real life experiences to show someone that you can do it. It’s attainable. You can touch it. All you gotta do is do the work.”
The work of down payment assistance has been integral to the organization’s mission to ensure community members are able to obtain affordable homes towards creating economic stability for decades to come.
In addition to their down payment assistance programming, Solita’s House prioritizes financial education at all stages of life. One of their programs in this vein (the F.I.T. Summer Camp) is focused on providing young Tampans financial literacy training to set up a foundation of economic success into adulthood.
Solita’s House has been recognized by the City of Tampa as an integral agent for change in the community and is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department-approved housing counseling agency within NCRC’s Housing Counseling Network.
Solita’s House has been able to leverage millions in federal and private funding to support thousands seeking homeownership for nearly two decades. In 2024 alone, Solita’s House served over 1,400 families, thus empowering community members to take control of their financial futures for future generations. Through fostering avenues for financial success, Thomas and her team plan to do this community work for years to come by changing the landscape of housing access in the state.
“We don’t just want to make homeowners,” said Thomas. “We want to offer people lifelong investments they can call their own.”
Solita’s House is one of the many housing counseling agencies in the NCRC Housing Counseling Network (HCN) dedicated to building housing stability and generational wealth in their communities. Read more about the life-changing work HCN agencies do for local families across the nation here.
Are you a HUD-approved housing counseling agency looking for a HUD intermediary? NCRC is accepting HCN applications for HCN through August 31, 2025. Learn more and apply here!
Maya McKenzie is a Contributing Writer.
Photo courtesy of Solita’s House.
