More than 40% of homeowners do not have protections in place to safeguard their family’s inheritance, recent survey finds
ATLANTA, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) announced its 2024 Heirs’ Property Family Wealth Protection Fund (FWP), allocating $5 million to assist organizations with the prevention and resolution of heirs’ property issues.
A recent survey sponsored by FHLBank Atlanta and conducted by The Harris Poll found that most homeowners (90%) expect the equity in their home to benefit their heirs when they die, yet more than 4 in 10 (43%) do not have a will/trust or estate plan. The survey also showed that roughly 1 in 5 homeowners did not have, or were not sure whether they have, a clear title (22%) or recorded deed (20%).
“Without the proper legal process, there are often roadblocks preventing equity from being passed down as property owners intend,” said FHLBank Atlanta’s President and Chief Executive Officer Kirk Malmberg. “As part of our work to address housing and homeownership challenges, FHLBank Atlanta has focused on heirs’ property issues, which occur when a property owner passes away without a will designating a successor owner or the heirs fail to properly vest title to the property in their names.”
Through FHLBank Atlanta member institutions, starting October 1, 2024, community organizations, tribal entities, governments and municipalities may apply for up to $500,000 in grant funding to assist property owners located in low-to-moderate income areas within communities in the FHLBank Atlanta district: Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The application deadline is October 31, 2024.
Heirs’ property issues may also arise when a property is left to multiple beneficiaries without a plan to manage the property, resulting in fractured or tangled title. The survey found that 38% of homeowners without a will/trust or estate plan intend to leave their home or property to more than one heir.
“Family homes and properties are key to generational wealth building, but all too often, this legacy is lost due to inadequate legal documentation,” said Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams, a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. “Earlier this year, I led the introduction of the HEIRS Act, which shares the same goal as FHLBank Atlanta’s program: to increase access to essential legal services, bridge wealth disparities, and give families confidence that their properties are secure for future generations.”
Further, heirs’ property could be a more common challenge among lower income households. The survey indicated that 57% of homeowners with an annual household income under $50,000 do not have a will/trust or estate plan, and 42% in the same income range intend to leave their home to multiple heirs, exacerbating the potential risk.
“When ownership of a property is unclear, it hinders the accumulation of generational wealth and makes it hard for the home to be maintained or sold, often leading to neighborhood blight,” said FHLBank Atlanta Senior Vice President and Director of Community Investment Services Tomeka Strickland. “The Family Wealth Protection Fund was created to help individuals protect their hard-earned assets for future generations while strengthening communities.”
For additional information on FHLBank Atlanta’s Heirs’ Property Family Wealth Protection Fund or to identify a FHLBank Atlanta member financial institution for partnership opportunities, visit the Bank’s Find a Member page or contact Community Investment Services at 800.536.9650, option 3 or FHLBAtlantaHeirsProperty@fhlbatl.com.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
FHLBank Atlanta is a member-owned cooperative that offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to assist its member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank’s members are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $9.1 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than 1.2 million households.
For more information, visit our website at www.fhlbatl.com.
Survey Method
The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta from August 20-22, 2024, among 1,306 homeowners. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.2 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
CONTACT:
Sheryl Touchton
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
stouchton@fhlbatl.com
404.716.4296
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