What is the Will Power Program?<\/p>\n
The Will Power Program was created in response to Philadelphia\u2019s tangled title problem, which affects real estate collectively worth more than $1.1 billion, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts<\/a>. Researchers estimated the city is home to more than 10,000 tangled titles.\n<\/p>\n A tangled title generally occurs when a person, often a relative of a deceased homeowner, lives in the property but does not technically own it because their name is not on the deed. This often happens when there\u2019s no will establishing a clear path to legal ownership.\n<\/p>\n Community Legal Services and Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania joined forces with hopes of helping families avoid the headache of having a tangled title, which can only be undone with the help of an attorney. The process is typically long, expensive and complicated<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Advocates say tangled titles can ultimately put a home at risk<\/a> of deterioration, foreclosure and deed theft<\/a>, costing families generational wealth and potentially decreasing the quality of life<\/a> in a given neighborhood.\n <\/p>\n \u201cToday, we\u2019re not celebrating the signing of 1,000 wills. We\u2019re celebrating 1,000 families who have taken a step toward protecting their homes, their legacies and their peace of mind,\u201d said Derrick Thomas, who manages the Will Power Program for the Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania.\n<\/p>\n Over the last three years, the majority of the program\u2019s participants have been older Black residents who earn well below the city\u2019s median household income, which currently sits at around $60,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.\n<\/p>\n Nearly 80% of participants have been 60 years old or above, and nearly 70% have been Black.\n<\/p>\n Nationwide, there is a racial estate planning gap, with only 23% of Black families having a will compared to 65% of white families, according to research conducted by Thomas W. Mitchell<\/a>, a law professor who now teaches at Boston College Law School.\n<\/p>\n On Wednesday, speakers made it clear the Will Power Program will continue working to reduce that disparity, as long as there\u2019s enough funding.\n<\/p>\n