Amita Sall joins rank and file of Arizona Housing Fund proponents
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
When Amita Sall heard Michelle Lind of the Arizona Association of Realtors speak about the Arizona Housing Fund at a meeting last November, she knew she wanted to get involved.
Ms. Lind shared that the Arizona Housing Fund was created to address Arizona’s housing crisis by raising funds to fund affordable housing projects with services for those experiencing homelessness.
Ms. Lind said AZHF had a unique fundraising platform called the Escrow Donation Program that made it easy for real estate agents, title companies, and home buyers and sellers to donate $25 or more at the close of escrow each time a home was sold.
Ms. Sall, a daughter of immigrants who is passionate about volunteering and community involvement, said she had been looking for a local effort to get involved with and the Arizona Housing Fund spoke to her.
“I moved here from Seattle, where big tech companies quickly expanded across the city, displacing thousands of vulnerable people and creating a homelessness crisis that has spiraled out of control,” she said.
“I don’t want this to happen in Arizona, but if something isn’t done that’s where we’re headed. The Arizona Housing Fund is a way for everyone to get involved in a grassroots effort to fund affordable housing for those in our state who need some help.”
Ms. Sall, has committed to donating $10 for each home sale notary transaction, and is encouraging all other notaries to do the same. She will also be sharing information about the Arizona Housing Fund with other notaries as well as the title companies, escrow companies, and home builders she works with to get them involved with the effort.
Ms. Sall is principal at AZ48 Notary Services.
“When Amita reached out, it really made an impression on me,” said Howard Epstein, Arizona Housing Fund founder.
“Imagine if every person and company involved in a home sale were to make a small donation – if inspection companies, appraisal companies, mortgage brokerages, loan officers, title companies, real estate brokerages, real estate agents, and notaries ALL made donations. We could raise millions each year to house the thousands of seniors, veterans, single parents, victims of abuse, kids, and other vulnerable Arizonans experiencing homelessness.”
To date, the Arizona Housing Fund has raised $1.9 million with 5,400 individual donations and granted $1.35 million to eight nonprofits for housing projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
