Over the past year, our team at Framework took the time to step back and revisit our mission, vision, and values. Not because they were broken or just because it was time for a website refresh.
We did it because Framework has grown and the role we play in the homeownership ecosystem has grown with it.
When I stepped into the CEO role almost four years ago – still not too many gray hairs to show for it! – one of the things that stood out to me right away was how much trust the housing industry had already placed in Framework. Our homebuyer education course (sometimes incorrectly spelled, but affectionally known as “Frameworks”!) had become one of the most widely accepted ways for first-time homebuyers to prepare for the buying process.
And it was also clear that the opportunity in front of us was bigger than a single course.
Homeownership isn’t a moment in time. It’s a journey that starts long before someone applies for a mortgage and continues well after the closing. For me, it started as an 11-year-old kid in the Bronx with a small garden box in his apartment window, dreaming about owning a home “so I can have a real garden.” And it continues today as I recently managed my fourth basement flooding – and the lessons of installing your own sump pump!
So, if that’s true for me as the CEO and homeowner myself, then the tools, education, and support we build should reflect that entire journey for everyone we get to serve.
That realization is what pushed us to step back and make sure our mission, vision, and values reflect who Framework is today and where we’re going next.
Our mission hasn’t changed. But it has evolved.
Why Now
The housing landscape continues to change as well.
Affordability challenges, higher interest rates, and limited housing supply have made the path to homeownership more complex than it was even just a few years ago when I took over the company. At the same time, lenders, housing counselors, nonprofits, and housing agencies are being asked to do more with less to help the communities they serve navigate those challenges.
One thing has remained consistent: homebuyers and homeowners need trusted information and partners who can help them make confident decisions.
That belief has always been at the center of Framework.
But supporting homeownership today requires more than just education before closing. It requires tools and resources that help partners stay connected to the people they serve across the entire homeownership journey.
Reflecting on Our Journey
Framework was co-founded by the Housing Partnership Network and Minnesota Homeownership Center in the years following the 2008 housing crisis with a simple goal: help more people achieve sustainable homeownership.
The Framework Homebuyer Education course became one of the most widely used programs in the country and has helped more than 1.5 million homebuyers prepare for one of the most important financial decisions of their lives.
And over time, we heard a consistent message from the partners we work with across the housing industry: Education is critical. But it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
Our housing partners needed better ways to support their clients not just before they buy a home, but throughout the entire experience of owning a home That insight helped shape the next chapter of Framework.
