ACTS Housing

What ACTS Housing does

ACTS Housing, legally organized as Acts Community Development Corporation, is a HUD-certified nonprofit housing organization founded circa 1996 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a regional office in Beloit serving Rock County. The organization operates an integrated homeownership platform targeted at low-to-moderate income (LMI) families in southeastern Wisconsin who face barriers such as poor credit, insufficient savings, language barriers, and limited experience with the mortgage process. Through two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Acts Lending (alternative mortgage and rehabilitation financing, including ITIN acceptance and six-month post-bankruptcy qualification) and Acts Homes (real estate brokerage that acquires distressed single-family and duplex properties, rehabilitates them, and resells to qualified buyers) — combined with HUD-certified homebuyer coaching, education (in-person and via eHome America), and home rehabilitation support, ACTS Housing delivers an end-to-end pathway from orientation to closing.

The business model is multi-stream: (1) real estate brokerage spreads on Acts Homes acquisitions and resales; (2) transaction/take-rate fees from Acts Lending loan originations ($4.4 million originated for 37 families in 2025, with individual loans up to $200,000 covering purchase and rehabilitation in a single product); (3) nominal program fees ($38–$75 credit report, $100 eHome pre-purchase, $50 post-purchase courses) alongside free Virtual Orientation as the entry funnel; and (4) tax credit transactions and foundation/corporate grants that finance home rehabilitation and operating capacity — including an $8 million tax credit deal secured in July 2026 to fund 42 home rehabs, and prior funding rounds of $2.1 million (2019) and $1.25 million from the Zilber Family Foundation (2022). The go-to-market is community-led, with primary acquisition through word-of-mouth referrals from alumni families, churches, employers, and a network of 20+ lender and institutional partners including BMO, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, MGIC, and Horicon Bank, plus formal referral agreements with Housing Resources Inc., United Community Center, and NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region.

ACTS Housing has helped 4,200+ families become homeowners across its 30-year history and currently operates with 11–50 employees across coaching, lending, real estate, philanthropy, government relations, and operations functions, led by President & CEO Michael Gosman, CFO Brian Malaney, and Chairman/Co-Founder John Beagle. Technology is operational rather than proprietary — WordPress, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Formstack, and the eHome America education platform — with no API, AI/ML capabilities, or in-house software development disclosed. The 2026 Neighborhood Table annual event at Discovery World, Milwaukee, anchors the fundraising and alumni engagement model, with ECAB Group/Baird as presenting sponsor.

Name

ACTS Housing

Legal name

Acts Community Development Corporation

Website

https://actshousing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACTS Housing is a HUD-certified Milwaukee nonprofit operating an integrated homeownership platform — homebuyer coaching, alternative lending (Acts Lending), and real estate brokerage/rehab (Acts Homes) — that serves low-to-moderate income families in Milwaukee and Rock Counties, Wisconsin, and has helped over 4,200 families become homeowners since its 1996 founding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & First-Time Buyer Brokerage (BPAJAAAD), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO)

Keywords

• Affordable housing services
• Homebuyer education
• Alternative mortgage lending
• Real estate brokerage
• Community development nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Brokerage (Acts Homes): Acts Housing, through its Acts Homes subsidiary, purchases distressed single-family homes and duplexes (from private owners, estate disbursements, city/bank foreclosures, landlords, and wholesalers), rehabilitates them, and sells them to qualified homebuyers who have completed HUD-certified homebuyer education. Revenue is generated from the spread between acquisition/rehab costs and sale price.
2. Mortgage Lending (Acts Lending): Acts Lending originates home purchase and rehab loans for families who may not qualify with traditional lenders. Loans cover both purchase price and rehabilitation costs under a single product. Acts Lending works with families facing credit barriers, bankruptcy (as short as 6 months post-discharge), self-employment, and ITIN status.
3. Homebuyer Coaching and Education Services: Acts Housing provides homebuyer coaching, HUD-certified education courses, and rehab coaching as free or low-cost support services to homebuyers. These services drive acquisition into the real estate and lending arms. Revenue includes program fees (credit report fees at orientation and eHome America course fees).
4. Tax Credit Transaction / Government Subsidized Financing: Acts Housing secures tax credit transactions (e.g., an $8 million tax credit deal to fund rehabilitation of 42 homes) to finance its housing development and rehab operations, supplementing its earned revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ACTS Housing delivers an integrated homeownership pathway for low-to-moderate income families in Milwaukee and Rock Counties, Wisconsin, combining HUD-certified homebuyer coaching, alternative mortgage and rehabilitation lending (Acts Lending), real estate acquisition and brokerage (Acts Homes), and home rehabilitation support. The organization buys distressed single-family homes and duplexes, rehabs them, and resells them to qualified buyers who have completed its homebuyer education program, while providing ongoing post-purchase alumni support.

Product overview

Acts Housing is a nonprofit providing a comprehensive homeownership ecosystem with three main branded offerings: Acts Housing (core coaching and education services), Acts Lending (alternative mortgage financing including rehab loans up to $200,000), and Acts Homes (real estate acquisition and sales). The integrated platform combines HUD-certified homebuyer coaching, homebuyer education courses, virtual orientation, home rehabbing support, real estate brokerage, and property acquisition services. The organization serves low-to-moderate income families in Milwaukee and Rock Counties who face barriers to traditional homeownership. In 2025, Acts Lending originated $4.4 million in home loans for 37 families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Acts Lending: Alternative mortgage lending and home rehabilitation financing for families who may not qualify with traditional financial institutions
• Acts Homes

Products and services

• Homebuyer Coaching One-on-one HUD-certified coaching program for prospective low-to-moderate income homebuyers in Milwaukee and Rock Counties, guiding them from financial readiness assessment through closing and into post-purchase support.
• Acts Lending (Alternative Mortgage & Rehab Loan Origination) Alternative mortgage lending product for LMI families unable to qualify with traditional banks, providing both home purchase loans and combined purchase-plus-rehabilitation financing in a single product.
• Acts Homes (Real Estate Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resale) Real estate acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale product for distressed single-family and duplex properties in Milwaukee and Rock Counties, channeling inventory directly to qualified ACTS Housing program graduates.
• Homebuyer Education (HUD-Certified Courses) HUD-certified pre-purchase and post-purchase homebuyer education courses delivered in-person or online through eHome America, required for most mortgage providers and down payment assistance programs.
• Home Rehabbing Program End-to-end home rehabilitation support service for families purchasing distressed properties, including scope-of-work planning, contractor referrals, budget management, and access to combined purchase-plus-rehab financing.
• Property Acquisition Services (Seller-Facing) Seller-facing acquisition service offering fair all-cash offers, portfolio purchases, and property donation acceptance for individual owners, landlords, wholesalers, and estates.
• Real Estate Brokerage In-house real estate brokerage service for program-qualified homebuyers, providing buyer-side agent representation and access to the Acts Homes inventory of move-in-ready and fixer-upper properties.
• Virtual Orientation Free bilingual (English/Spanish) online orientation introducing prospective homebuyers to the ACTS Housing process, serving as the entry point into the coaching program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,200+ families became homeowners with Acts Housing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• ECAB Group / Baird (Presenting Sponsor — Neighborhood Table 2026)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2026ECAB Group in partnership with Baird Private Wealth Management served as the Presenting Sponsor of Acts Housing's 2026 Neighborhood Table signature annual event. The event celebrates 3,800+ Acts families and community supporters at Discovery World, Milwaukee.
• HUSCO (Community Sponsor — Neighborhood Table 2026)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2026HUSCO, a precision motion and control solutions company, sponsored the Neighborhood Table 2026 event as a Community Sponsor.
• Keller Williams MKE (Community Sponsor — Neighborhood Table 2026)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2026Keller Williams Milwaukee served as a Community Sponsor of the 2026 Neighborhood Table event, supporting Acts Housing's annual fundraising and alumni celebration.
• Northwestern Mutual Foundation (Neighborhood Sponsor — Neighborhood Table 2026)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2026Northwestern Mutual Foundation sponsored the 2026 Neighborhood Table event at the Neighborhood Sponsor level, supporting the organization's mission of homeownership for LMI families.
• MGIC Investment Corporation (Neighborhood Sponsor — Neighborhood Table 2026)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2026MGIC, a private mortgage insurance company, was a Neighborhood Sponsor of the 2026 Neighborhood Table event.
• eHome AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActs Housing partners with eHome America to deliver HUD-certified, web-based homebuyer education courses. Prospective homebuyers can complete their pre-purchase or post-purchase education online through eHome America's platform. Course certificates are valid for 12 months and are presented to clients and/or lenders upon completion. Acts Housing is listed as a partner agency on ehomeamerica.org/actshousing.
• Housing Resources Inc. (HRI)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHRI is a Milwaukee-based HUD-certified housing counseling agency. Acts Lending accepts referrals from HRI — graduates of HRI's homebuyer counseling programs are eligible to apply for an Acts Lending loan. Acts also refers prospective clients to HRI when appropriate.
• United Community Center (UCC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerUCC is a Milwaukee community organization providing homebuyer counseling. Acts Lending accepts referrals from UCC — graduates of UCC's counseling programs are eligible to apply for Acts Lending loans. UCC serves as a community touchpoint for reaching LMI families in Milwaukee.
• NeighborWorks Blackhawk RegioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNeighborWorks Blackhawk Region is a Rock County HUD-certified housing counseling agency. Acts Lending accepts referrals from this organization for homebuyers in the Rock County market, enabling cross-referral between the two organizations.
• Community Partners (General)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerActs Housing works with a broad network of community partners including churches (e.g., St. Augustine, World Outreach Church), community organizations (e.g., Safe and Sound, Milwaukee Urban League), employers, lenders, and real estate agents who refer prospective homebuyers to the organization. The 2025 Women's Cohort was run in collaboration with World Outreach Church, Safe and Sound, and Milwaukee Urban League.
• 20+ Lender and Institutional Partners (Acts Lending)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerActs Lending maintains relationships with over 20 banks, credit unions, and mortgage lenders including Associated Bank, BMO, Burke Properties, CIBC, Godfrey Kahn, Great Midwest Bank, GMAR, Horicon Bank, HUSCO, Insperity, J. Jeffers & Co., JSA Capital, Keller Williams MKE, Landmark Credit Union, Mr. Cooper, North Shore Bank, Northwestern Mutual, Old National Bank, Peck Foundation, Pepper Construction, PS Capital Partners, Summit Credit Union, Town Bank, UW Credit Union, WaterStone Bank, and others. These partners make referrals to or work alongside Acts Lending.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity of Wisconsin: State-level Habitat for Humanity affiliate that, like ACTS Housing, helps LMI Wisconsin families achieve affordable homeownership through housing counseling and acquisition/rehab programs. Both are HUD-aligned nonprofits serving overlapping Wisconsin geographies with similar mission-driven real estate models.
• NeighborWorks Blackhawk Region: Rock County HUD-certified housing counseling agency and ACTS Housing referral partner that delivers homebuyer education and counseling in overlapping territory. Operates a comparable LMI-focused model and serves as both peer and partner in the same regional market.
• Housing Resources Inc. (HRI): Milwaukee-based HUD-certified housing counseling agency that provides homebuyer counseling in the same Milwaukee market. Serves as both a referral source and a directly comparable peer delivering similar HUD-aligned services to LMI Milwaukee families.
• United Community Center (UCC): Milwaukee community organization providing homebuyer counseling and related services to LMI families, including Spanish-speaking communities. Directly comparable peer in mission and geography, and an active cross-referral partner for ACTS Lending.
• Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity: Milwaukee affiliate of Habitat for Humanity that builds, rehabs, and sells affordable homes to LMI families in Milwaukee County. Most direct mission-aligned peer of ACTS Housing in the same primary geography, competing for the same population of first-time LMI homebuyers.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee: National community development financial institution with deep Milwaukee presence funding affordable housing, small business, and neighborhood revitalization. Operates broader than ACTS Housing's homeownership focus but works on intersecting LMI housing and neighborhood stability goals in the same market.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit focused on affordable housing development and community resilience. Operates at scale well beyond ACTS Housing's footprint but provides a model for scaling affordable housing programs through public-private partnerships.
• Self-Help Credit Union / Self-Help Ventures Fund: Mission-driven CDFI providing alternative mortgage lending to underserved borrowers across multiple states. Comparable to Acts Lending's alternative-credit underwriting approach, including flexible guidelines and homebuyer education integration.

Regional players

• Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS Chicago): Chicago-based nonprofit delivering HUD-approved counseling, home rehab, lending, and community development to LMI families. Closest comparable integrated model outside Wisconsin and a benchmark for how ACTS Housing's model could be replicated in larger Midwestern metro markets.

Emerging players

• Grameen America: Nonprofit microfinance organization serving low-income female entrepreneurs with non-traditional credit underwriting. Compares to ACTS Housing in serving borrowers excluded from mainstream financial services, though its lending targets business formation rather than homeownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/actshousing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acts-housing
• Instagraminstagram.com/actshousing/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ACTSHousing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACTS Housing