Milwaukee/Rock County, July 16, 2026 –The US Treasury has certified Acts Housing’s lending division, Acts Lending, as Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The designation is granted to mission-driven institutions that provide financial services in low-income communities historically underserved by traditional financial institutions.
Acts Housing, which makes homeownership possible for buyers with income, credit, language, and other barriers, becomes just the 21st certified CDFI in Wisconsin and the only CDFI with a Rock County location. As a CDFI, the nonprofit is now eligible to apply for federal funding administered by the Treasury’s CDFI Fund.
“This is a major milestone that allows us to continue expanding our Acts Lending division and provide more families with much needed homeownership financing,” said Acts Housing President & CEO Michael Gosman. “The ability to access CDFI funding comes at a critical time as housing prices and related costs continue to climb and our average loan amounts have more than doubled in recent years.”
Since the division was established in 2013, more than 300 Milwaukee and Rock County families have been able to afford and purchase homes with financing from Acts Lending. The division provides qualifying homebuyers with up to $200,000 for the purchase and rehab of distressed, tax-foreclosed properties or move-in-ready homes. The average Acts Lending loan size has increased from $51,000 in 2020 to $125,000 so far this year.
“There is a huge need for loan dollars to assist local families in securing mortgages for safe and affordable housing,” Gosman said. “CDFI funding will support our goal to help at least 1,000 more families become homeowners during the next 10 years.”
The nonprofit anticipates applying for CDFI funding during the next grant cycle, which opens in Spring 2027.
Acts Lending made $4.4 million in loans in 2025. Eighty families were preapproved with 37 purchasing homes. In addition to lending, Acts Housing also provides homebuyer and financial education and coaching, real estate services, and home rehab coaching.
With offices in Beloit and Milwaukee, more than 4,500 families have purchased homes through Acts Housing since its founding in 1995 and 70% of them still own their original home.
