More than 100 million Americans rent their homes, yet most lack the financial knowledge to transition to homeownership, according to Steven Libman, founder of Investing With Purpose™. Through a model developed over 15 years in multifamily real estate, Libman is integrating financial literacy programs into apartment communities, aiming to address a wealth gap where the average homeowner's net worth exceeds $350,000 compared to roughly $10,500 for renters.
Libman attributes this disparity not primarily to income differences but to a lack of financial education. "We have done a really good job of reconciling our giving and our philanthropy to our core values," he said. "But when it comes to our investments, we outsource our conscience and our thinking to someone else." This outsourcing extends to housing, where renters remain tenants for decades because no one explains the mechanics of debt reduction, credit building, or saving for a down payment.
A current example of the model in action is a 418-unit property in Lubbock, Texas, owned and operated by Integrity Holdings Group (IHG), a firm Libman co-founded. The property runs a free financial literacy program in partnership with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, delivered by on-site ministry coordinators. Residents who complete the program and meet qualifying milestones can purchase their own units—individually deeded duplexes—with support from local credit unions and banks. "Maybe the single mom who thought she would be renting forever is, two years later, a landlord," Libman said. "That changes the trajectory for her and her kids."
The program is not merely philanthropic; it yields measurable business benefits. Lease attrition at properties with structured community engagement drops by 40 to 50 percent, and residents with strong social ties within the complex are 45 to 50 percent less likely to move. Lower turnover reduces costs and stabilizes income, making the financial literacy program an investment in asset performance. Investing With Purpose is also developing summer tutoring and kids' programming to address learning gaps among children in multifamily housing during school breaks.
Libman's firm, based in Bluffton, SC, invests in multifamily assets nationally through a faith-driven framework that prioritizes community and transparency alongside financial returns. The Lubbock program is relatively new, but the framework is designed to be replicable across a growing portfolio. More information on the Asset Ministry Program is available at investingwithpurpose.org/impact.
Libman sees the model as challenging the real estate industry's limited view of operator responsibility. "Where people live affects almost everything their life touches," he said. "The communities they are building, the people they are with, if we can impact somebody's life inside a community, and then you see the butterfly effect of that, it is immeasurable."
