HCA

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HCA

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Homeownership Council of America

About us...

Homeownership Council of America is the only national nonprofit dedicated to developing and expanding homeownership through lending pathways.  We are staffed by a group of experienced mortgage and nonprofit lending professionals.  We are guided by our deeply passionate and knowledgeable Board of Directors and Advisory Leadership.  Together, we take a leadership role in building partnerships between investors and nonprofit lenders to provide homeownership access.  HCA is focused on underserved communities where people of color, low income, and rural populations continually lag in homeownership. 


HCA bridges lending gaps through our CLIMB program and CDFI lender services.  Our programs are thoughtfully designed to solve the broken links between mortgage lending and underserved communities.  CLIMB creates reliable delivery systems through nonprofit lenders using investor capital.  This bridges the gaps to homeownership.  Together we are untapping the full potential of America’s underserved communities. 


Homeownership Council of America is a 501c3 Nonprofit Corporation.

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Leadership Team

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Gabe del Rio, CEO

Lupe Hernandez, COO

Lupe Hernandez, COO

Gabe is President & CEO of Homeownership Council of America (HCA) providing vision, technical assistance, and lender services to CDFIs and investors in affordable lending. Gabe has extensive experience in building products, delivery systems, and technology focused on increasing access to credit for underserved communities.  Gabe has been 

Gabe is President & CEO of Homeownership Council of America (HCA) providing vision, technical assistance, and lender services to CDFIs and investors in affordable lending. Gabe has extensive experience in building products, delivery systems, and technology focused on increasing access to credit for underserved communities.  Gabe has been instrumental in providing transformational consulting to nonprofit lenders through HCA’s CLIMB program nationally.  Gabe has authored a technical paper entitled “Untapping the Potential of Underserved Communities” illuminating underserved homeownership lending problem statements and solution options.  Prior to joining HCA, Gabe was the President of Springboard CDFI and the Nationwide Mortgage Collaborative, where he created the first national nonprofit CDFI mortgage bank, laying the groundwork for hub & spoke models.  Before that, Gabe was COO for Community Housing Works, while serving on several boards for housing, community development, banking, and homeownership. He previously trained community development and housing counseling professionals for 7 years with NeighborWorks America. Gabe has spent decades implementing and building best practices in housing counseling & education, down payment assistance lending, affordable housing, and mortgage lending for underserved communities. He currently serves on two Mortgage Bankers Association committees – the Consumer Affairs Advisory Council and the Small Loans Task Force. Gabe has a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University, and is a graduate of the School of Mortgage Banking with and Accredited Mortgage Professional designation – as the only AMP working in nonprofit nationally.  Gabe also completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Program; Achieving Excellence in Community Development.

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Lupe Hernandez, COO

Lupe Hernandez, COO

Lupe Hernandez, COO

Lupe joined HCA in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer.  Lupe provides direct oversight for all programs and operations.  She is responsible for supporting our National Leadership Advisory Council, oversight and coordination of the individual CLIMB organizations, and ensuring excellent service to our investor and nonprofit clients.  Lupe brin

Lupe joined HCA in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer.  Lupe provides direct oversight for all programs and operations.  She is responsible for supporting our National Leadership Advisory Council, oversight and coordination of the individual CLIMB organizations, and ensuring excellent service to our investor and nonprofit clients.  Lupe brings over 30 years of experience in banking, lending and homeownership services.  She brings a wealth of knowledge on serving disadvantaged communities from direct service provision to professional capacity building and training.  Lupe’s previous experience includes Vice-President of Community Development at Springboard CDFI where she was responsible for design and implementation of Nationwide Mortgage Collaborative; Homeownership Management Consultant for NeighborWorks America, Pacific Region; and Home Ownership Director of NeighborWorks of Orange County. Lupe also served as the Convener for the NeighborWorks America Homeownership Specialty Team for 9 years. Lupe has a Real Estate License and is working on accreditation with the Mortgage Bankers Association.  Lupe is a founding member of NAHREP, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.  Lupe has a two-year certification in Banking from the University of San Diego.

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Jennifer Murphy, VP

Lupe Hernandez, COO

Jennifer Murphy, VP

Jennifer joined HCA in 2019 as Vice-President.  She is responsible for HCA’s communications, resource development, grant management, whitepapers, research, and implementation of programs and services.  Jennifer also provides technical support to HCA’s CLIMB participants. Jennifer has over 25 years of non-profit and community development b

Jennifer joined HCA in 2019 as Vice-President.  She is responsible for HCA’s communications, resource development, grant management, whitepapers, research, and implementation of programs and services.  Jennifer also provides technical support to HCA’s CLIMB participants. Jennifer has over 25 years of non-profit and community development banking experience.  She began her career in Housing Counseling in 1994.  She later moved to community banking then returned to non-profit leadership.  Jennifer has significant experience providing training, capacity building, and technical support to non-profit organizations.  Her specialty is incorporating housing counseling services into loan programs to increase access for low-to-moderate income homebuyers and homeowners.  Jennifer’s prior experience includes Executive Director of HomeSmart NY, New York’s coalition of HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies;  Director of Lender/Servicer Relations at the Center for New York City Neighborhoods; developing and managing loss mitigation for NJ Community Capital’s ReStart Home Preservation Program; Community Development Specialist at Bank of New York; Executive Director of All AHEAD, Inc.; and Counseling Director for NJ Citizen Action.  Jennifer serves on the advisory board of the National Housing Resource Center.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgian Court University with a major in History. 

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Jeff Ewing, CFO

Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Jennifer Murphy, VP

Jeff joined HCA in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer.  He manages fiscal and human resource operations.  Jeff is a licensed CPA in CA & VA and a California Real Estate Broker.  He has a long history of experience in real estate, lending and nonprofit management.  Jeff’s previous positions include Controller at Riverside Community Health Fou

Jeff joined HCA in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer.  He manages fiscal and human resource operations.  Jeff is a licensed CPA in CA & VA and a California Real Estate Broker.  He has a long history of experience in real estate, lending and nonprofit management.  Jeff’s previous positions include Controller at Riverside Community Health Foundation; Senior Staff Accountant/Auditor at Roorda, Piquet & Bessee, Inc. CPAs; Staff Accountant/Auditor at Considine & Considine; Broker at Great Finds Realty, Mortgage Processor at U.S. Bank; COO at New Earth Capital and Lending Consultant at Citi.  Jeff has a Master’s of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University

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Dee Sodano, VP Lender Services

Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Dee joined HCA in 2020 as Vice-President, Compliance & Underwriting.  She is responsible for HCA’s contract underwriting service providing external, comprehensive mortgage loan underwriting for nonprofit lenders.  Dee also oversees guidance and management of lending compliance, loan policies and procedures, and risk governance for HCA’s C

Dee joined HCA in 2020 as Vice-President, Compliance & Underwriting.  She is responsible for HCA’s contract underwriting service providing external, comprehensive mortgage loan underwriting for nonprofit lenders.  Dee also oversees guidance and management of lending compliance, loan policies and procedures, and risk governance for HCA’s CLIMB participants.  Dee brings over 25 years of experience in all areas of mortgage lending.  This experience includes ten years at a leading CDFI with first mortgage, in-house DPA, and multiple municipal DPA management contracts. Dee is versed in Conventional, FHA, HFA, and all Affordable loan program types.  Her expertise includes current compliance regulations and best practices. Prior to joining HCA, Dee has worked with Banks, small and large companies and organizations as well as Wholesale /Retail lending operations and has direct lending experience. She has a deep understanding of what happens to a borrower and the transaction from start to finish as well as post-closing operations Dee is well versed in ways to make loans work and to be profitable. Dee has an NMLS license and California Real Estate Broker’s license. Dee holds a BA in Business from San Francisco State University.

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Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Khoi Gordon, Senior Loan Processor

Khoi joined HCA’s Lender Services Team in 2021 as a Senior Processor. He is a mortgage industry veteran having begun his career with SunTrust Mortgage in 2013. Khoi has also worked as a Senior Mortgage Processor at Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) and Senior Mortgage Compliance Specialist at George Mason Mortgage, LLC where he was res

Khoi joined HCA’s Lender Services Team in 2021 as a Senior Processor. He is a mortgage industry veteran having begun his career with SunTrust Mortgage in 2013. Khoi has also worked as a Senior Mortgage Processor at Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) and Senior Mortgage Compliance Specialist at George Mason Mortgage, LLC where he was responsible for loan compliance at five branches. Khoi is well-versed in all areas of mortgage lending with experience in loan processing, credit analysis, initial and re-disclosure, income calculation, VA and FHA regulations, TRID, and more. As a Processor, Khoi is responsible for working with loan officers, borrowers and third-party providers on documenting mortgage loan packages for underwriting. Khoi finds gratification in assisting people and takes pride in providing our clients and their customers with a seamless mortgage process. He understands the importance of the customer’s ability to understand the homebuying process and strives to ensure they receive guidance throughout the process.

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DeMarco Readye, Senior Loan Processor

Cruz Peinado, Bilingual Loan Processor

Cruz Peinado, Bilingual Loan Processor

DeMarco joined HCA’s Lender Services team in 2021 as Senior Loan Processor. DeMarco brings many years of experience in loan origination and customer service. He is responsible for working with loan officers, borrowers and third party providers on documenting mortgage loan packages for underwriting. DeMarco works closely with our partner o

DeMarco joined HCA’s Lender Services team in 2021 as Senior Loan Processor. DeMarco brings many years of experience in loan origination and customer service. He is responsible for working with loan officers, borrowers and third party providers on documenting mortgage loan packages for underwriting. DeMarco works closely with our partner organizations to ensure that homebuyers experience a quick and stress-free mortgage process. Prior to joining HCA, DeMarco worked as a Loan Processor at Bank of America and Home Equity Specialist at Wells Fargo. 

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Cruz Peinado, Bilingual Loan Processor

Cruz Peinado, Bilingual Loan Processor

Cruz Peinado, Bilingual Loan Processor

 Cruz joined HCA in 2018. She is a processor in our Lender Services Department where she is responsible for working with our partner organizations and their customers on documenting mortgage loan packages for underwriting. Cruz is also a HUD-certified Housing Counselor and she brings that extra touch to her interactions with homebuyers.  

 Cruz joined HCA in 2018. She is a processor in our Lender Services Department where she is responsible for working with our partner organizations and their customers on documenting mortgage loan packages for underwriting. Cruz is also a HUD-certified Housing Counselor and she brings that extra touch to her interactions with homebuyers.  She is fluent in Spanish. Cruz is an experienced professional with a history of work in both the financial services industry and nonprofit organizations.  Cruz began working as a Loan Processor and Transaction Coordinator in 2015. She is experienced in processing, credit analysis, and loan packaging. She is well versed in all aspects of conventional lending and downpayment assistance guidelines. Her areas of expertise in nonprofit management include program evaluation, contract and partner management, and CRM development. Cruz’s previous positions include Housing Opportunities Collaborative and Community HousingWorks. Cruz holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, San Diego. Cruz also provides IT Systems Administration and Project Delivery Support to HCA.  

Contact Us

We are passionate about what we do!

We are open to discussing your organization's goals, problem statements, and custom scope.

HCA

1611 East 4th Street, Suite 100-B, Santa Ana, CA 92701

800-275-2209 info@homeownershipcouncil.org

Board of Directors

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Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Clemente is the CEO of Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services in Southern CA

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Yamila Ayad, Vice Chair

Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Yamila is an NMLS licensed Mortgage Professional working in CA and AZ

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Sara Morgan, Director

Clemente Mojica, Chairman

Steve O'Connor, Director

Sara is the COO of Fahe; one of the largest CDFIs in the nation and GSE Lender

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Steve O'Connor, Director

Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Steve O'Connor, Director

Steve is the SVF of Affordable Housing at the Mortgage Bankers Association

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Francis Baffour, Director

Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Francis is retired from the OCC and on the boards of GN Bank and African Film Festival.

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Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Gabe del Rio, President & CEO

Gabe is a Founding Board Member of the organization and our Chief Executive.

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Our History

Additional Information

HCA was founded in 2005 as Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC).  Our mission was to create collaboration between parties with a shared interest in affordable homeownership.  To achieve this mission, we worked with representatives from the government, non-profit, and private sectors.  Together, we developed holistic solutions to affordable homeownership and the partnerships to deliver them. Together, we addressed the needs of affordable homeownership in real-time.  Together, we continue today as the Homeownership Council of America (HCA).


Highlights:

  • Founded and incorporated in 2005.  HOC received 501(c)3 non-profit status from the IRS in 2006. 
  • We quickly grew to 80 collaborating organizations jointly holding public events called HOME Clinics.  These successful clinics initially provided potential homeowners access to housing counseling, Realtors, and lenders. 
  • HOC and our members shifted our focus in the wake of the 2008 foreclosure crisis by developing a foreclosure outreach model.  We provided help for tens of thousands of people struggling to avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. 
  • HOC became a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling organization then the first collaborative to become a HUD-Approved National Housing Counseling Intermediary.  Our service providers covered most of Southern California from San Diego to the Inland Empire. 
  • In 2013, HOC launched a new technology with the Virtual Counselor Network (VCN).  VCN provided a new way for counselors and coaches to meet with clients using a virtual connection. For the client, this meant a useful, convenient connection to trusted non-profit service providers.  Through VCN they received assistance with housing consumer finances, small business, employment and more.  For our non-profit providers, VCN brought both efficiency and reach for service and mission delivery. 
  • By 2018, affordable housing needs were shifting.  There was a growing national need for nonprofit lending.  HOC’s Board of Directors decided to discontinue our status as a HUD Intermediary.  Instead, we would return to our roots to focus on filling the lending gap of our underserved communities.  
  • In 2019, we launched our CLIMB program; Community Lending Initiatives in Mortgage Banking, where we provide transformative consulting services to the affordable housing industry. 
  • Today, we work collaboratively to strengthen the non-profit industry’s ability to lend.  We will create partnerships between non-profit lenders, for-profit lenders, and investors.  We build hub and spoke models to increase affordable lending in communities of color, low-to-moderate income communities, and rural communities.   

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