Kecia Chantel has never been one to wait for opportunity. Instead, she creates it. The
Pittsburgh native and mother of two works full-time as an occupational therapist while
running her jewelry business, Zuri Beads, on the side for the past nine years. She’s also
a published author, sharing her motherhood journey in Scenes from a Single Mom
Volume IV.
Her relentless drive has been innate to who she is for as long as she can remember. At just 21, fresh out of her master’s program, she launched a boutique with a friend.
“I just wanted a shift and to do something different at that young age,” she remembers.
Little did she know then, but one of the recommendations from guest speaker Shawna
Solomon to start a personal shopping community would prove invaluable.
“Whenever she told us to do that, I did it right then and there,” Chantel said. Less than
five months later, when everything shut down due to COVID, my business exploded,
going from good to great.”
If you’re waiting for a sign, this is it.
While Chantel’s entrepreneurial dreams never waited for anyone, her dream of homeownership did.
“I always dreamt of being a homeowner. But I didn't become a homeowner right away, because I was waiting for my fairy tale. I was waiting for this cookie-cutter story of having a husband and a perfect scenario. Well, I've been married and divorced, and eventually I realized: my sons and I, we are the perfect scenario.”
Growing up in Section 8 housing and moving often, Chantel was determined to establish roots for her children, and she knew Catapult was the right partner to get her there.
“I was already familiar with the staff and how they really see people, how they work with them,” she shared. “And when I researched the program, their offerings were the best out there. It was an easy decision.”
Chantel’s homeownership journey
In 2024, Chantel joined Catapult’s Revitalizing Neighborhoods & Increasing Homeownership (R.N.I.H.) program, a partnership with the PA Housing Finance Agency that helps reduce purchasing barriers and coaches potential homebuyers with the end goal of building generational wealth.
Working with an assigned counselor, Chantel built a comprehensive plan to make her dream of homeownership a reality
Here were the steps she followed:
1. Trauma-informed financial counseling
Chantel worked with an assigned financial counselor to understand her relationship with money. This portion of the program focused on budgeting, tracking spending, increasing her credit score, and identifying spending triggers. She received an individualized action plan to help her reach her budgeting and financial goals
2. Homebuyer workshop
In collaboration with W.A.V.E., Catapult offered Chantel a five-week homebuyer education course that covered credit, budgeting, and saving; lending and realty principles; understanding principal, interest, taxes, and insurance; and estate planning.
3. Pre-purchase counseling with an RNIH Housing Counseling Agency (HCA)
Once Chantel finished the financial counseling and her homebuyer workshop, as a requirement of the RNIH program, she was sent over to a participating HCA. With the HCA, she then completed pre-purchase counseling.
4.Final RNIH steps
After Kecia met her RNIH program requirement, she was referred to United Purpose Mortgage (one of the approved RNIH lenders) to begin the pre-approval process and purchase her home.
Determined to move quickly, Chantel made it through all the steps in just nine months.
“What they mapped out was exactly what I needed to do. It was a very intense nine months for me, but I’m grateful that I did it. The most challenging part of the process was trusting the process, remembering your why when you are paying off debt, making financial sacrifices, or getting outbid on homes. Knowing that my why was establishing those roots for my children is what kept me going.”
With her realtor, Chanell Jones, Chantel focused her search on specific Pittsburgh neighborhoods with strong public schools. When she finally found her home, the feeling was immediate satisfaction. “Every time I walked through it, every corner I turned, it just felt right,” she recalled.
With her realtor, Chanell Jones, Chantel focused her search on specific Pittsburgh neighborhoods with strong public schools. When she finally found her home, the feeling was immediate satisfaction. “Every time I walked through it, every corner I turned, it just felt right,” she recalled.
To ease the burden of a first-time home purchase, the RNIH program covered all of Chantel’s closing costs and even helped pay off some of her student loans. Combined with the intensity of her journey, it made for an emotional closing.
“I cried, and I’m not a crier. But breaking those generational curses, from always moving as a girl to finally giving my sons consistency, it felt really, really good. Exposure leads to expansion, and I hope I’ve positioned my children a little better, building self-sufficiency into my legacy for generations to come.”
Safeguarding her legacy
Catapult’s support doesn’t stop at the closing table. Through our K.E.Y. program, short for Keeping Equity Yours, Chantel now has access to monthly workshops and one-on-one counseling designed to sustain long-term homeownership. From basic repairs to estate planning, the program equips families to safeguard their investment because we believe it’s not just about getting families into homes, but also about helping them protect their assets for future generations.
