Sisterhood Spotlight

What brought you to Richmond, and what do you do for a living?

I am co-owner of Avail Outpatient Counseling, known as Avail, a holistic healing private practice focusing on mind, body, and spirit wellness. I define my role as a “Teacher” who creates safe spaces to educate and increase awareness about mental health and self-care. In particular, I focus on women’s health. I am the Founder of Education Connection Academy (ECA) nonprofit, which along with Avail, provides community outreach programs across the city to increase awareness about mental and physical health for youth and families. In addition, I serve as an Educational Consultant with expertise in transformational leadership and school improvement. I consider myself a multi-hyphenate, but all of my work is driven by my passion for serving and bettering our community. 

I am from Petersburg, VA, but I lived my adult life and raised my son in Chester, VA. However, I frequented Richmond, VA because of the diversity of demographics, social and community events, and an abundance of “mom and pop” and small businesses. When my son graduated high school and joined the Airforce, I thought it was best for me to move to Richmond City. At that time, my business partner and I also assessed our clientele, revealing that most of our clients lived in Richmond. Our location in Chester did not have accessible transportation for them. We believe mental health services should be affordable, available, and accessible. Therefore, in 2017, we moved our business, Avail, to Richmond on East Main Street on a bus line route. I also moved to Richmond to an apartment in Scott’s Addition to move closer to work. I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the city even more when I learned about my Blackwell Family Tree housed in The Virginia Museum of History and Culture and my ancestors' richness and historical contributions to the Capital. I wanted to own and “put down roots” in Richmond to be an active resident and advocate in the city.

Can you tell us a little bit about your home buying experience? What was it like to navigate this process?

After two years living in Richmond, in 2019 I started looking for homes to buy using online home search platforms. I noticed that houses fit into two categories that I call “Home A” and “Home B.” Home A, which was in my price range, included dilapidated, older homes that needed at least $50-100k in renovations to make it inhabitable by my standards. Or, Home B was two blocks away from Home A but significantly out of my price range and located in a “sought-after” neighborhood. Because it was a “seller’s market,” Home B properties often needed renovations and repairs before moving in. Also, during this time, many developers were buying up the Home A and Home B type properties as “cash offers,” leaving little to no inventory for home buyers like me. This was a frustrating process, and even with having a realtor to help me navigate this, it still was not enough. It finally hit me that I would be renting in Richmond for the rest of my life, or I would have to purchase a home outside the city. It was daunting to think that for the amount of money I was spending on rent, I could own a home and create generational wealth and wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity.

Who or what was helpful to you during the process? What resources would you direct people to, from your own experience?

What was most helpful during the process was when I learned about Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation (SCDHC). I was looking for resources for my clients because housing and finances are significant stressors that impact mental health, and in my search, I found SCDHC. When I read the services that they offered, I quickly realized that not only are the services for my clients, but they are for me too. I signed up for the free home-buying classes, in which I learned about the steps to buying a home and how to find a lender and realtor familiar with down payment assistance programs. Finding a lender who understood the down payment assistance and grant programs was a game changer for me.

Let me explain, because I know people are wondering how someone with a Ph.D. needs down payment assistance. To be quite frank, I chose the life of public service; unfortunately, these professions are not high-salary positions. Most of these positions require advanced degrees, which led to my student loan debt, yet the salaries are not comparable to the tuition costs. My student loan debt exceeded my annual salary.

At that time, I was a small business owner in the service field who had to pay for my benefits, such as health coverage, life insurance and retirement. Not only did our business revenue have to pay monthly business expenses like building rent and utilities, but it also had to pay employee salaries. This left little profit for us to save or invest, especially since we kept our prices affordable for accessibility in BIPOC communities. Inflation and the impact of Covid-19 made it more challenging to save for a 10-20% down payment for a home. Yet, I was paying $1300 monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment, increasing yearly. In my experience, some lenders’ policies deemed small business owners as high-risk debtors and wouldn’t approve me for a loan, although I had a high credit score and no credit card debt then. 

When I worked with SCDHC’s Financial Specialist and a lender who understood the grant programs, I could provide the necessary documents for the underwriter’s approval for the loan. I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this on my own. It took me two years to work with the SCDHC Financial Specialist, Housing Program Manager and knowledgeable realtors and lenders of grant programs, and I was finally ready to purchase a home in 2021. I became eligible for the SCDHC Holland’s properties in the Southside of Richmond. I was able to secure down payment assistance for new construction at an affordable price. This was a dream come true! I closed on my forever home on January 19, 2022. Now, I serve on the Executive Board of SCDHC to help others find their forever home.

What is your favorite thing about being a homeowner?

My favorite thing about being a homeowner is creating a sense of community for my neighbors, friends and family, as my grandmother, Doreatha Blackwell, did for me. She was the matriarch of our family, and she hosted family gatherings and participated in civic and church community events. She made people feel welcome by cooking for them, sharing comforting advice and creating a space of laughter and fellowship. After my grandmother passed in 1996, that nucleus was missed. I am my grandmother’s child, so as a homeowner, I sit on my front porch and speak to my neighbors to get to know them and for them to get to know me. We look out for each other and our neighborhood. I love to host family and friend gatherings at my house. I like to “show off” our beautiful city to my out-of-town guests. I affectionately named my home Blackwell Chateau to signify that it doesn’t matter the zip code of your home; home is where the heart is. I created my urban oasis in the city I love! This home will be passed down to my son and serve as an investment to create generational wealth.

What encouragement would you give other women currently thinking about or navigating homeownership?

I encourage women to keep pursuing their dream of home ownership, be bold and brave and ask for help. If I didn’t ask for help from SCDHC, I would still be renting. Buying a home is a humbling experience, and it at times may feel intrusive, but it is worth it. I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college and become an entrepreneur, so I didn’t have many role models growing up to teach me about finances, wealth building, and business ownership. Still, they taught me how to fill a home with love and give back to the community.

Navigating homeownership means being vulnerable, which is hard for women because many women are plagued with Superwoman Syndrome. Superwoman Syndrome is a range of physical, psychological and interpersonal stress symptoms experienced by a woman who attempts to perform perfectly in multiple or conflicting roles. We feel that we are obligated to “have it all together.” Homeownership requires women to be brave to face past financial mistakes, acknowledge what they don’t know and allow others (realtors, lenders, grantors, etc.) to be involved in their decision-making toward home ownership. Also, I encourage women to change realtors and lenders if they are not meeting their needs. I had gone through several realtors and lenders before finding the ones that made me feel like a priority, not just a commission. Lastly, I would encourage women to be patient, a virtue I am still working on (laugh out loud). Seriously, my journey to homeownership was not easy because I was not willing to compromise living in Richmond. It took four years of submitting my finances to strangers, getting outbid on homes, sharing personal information and extensively searching for affordable homes. Still, I will do it all over again to have that feeling of sitting on my back porch, looking at the Capital city’s skyline, knowing my ancestors are proud of me, with family and friends’ laughter echoing in the background.

About Dr. Shawnrell Blackwell

Dr. Shawnrell Blackwell is a Professional Curator and Motivational Speaker for professional development, networking, and community engagements. Her interactive sessions in education and mental health fields have impacted thousands for over 20 years. She is a change agent with a proven track record of success, and her clientele boasts immediate transformation during her powerful coaching sessions. Affectionately called the self-care guru, she advocates for equity and accessibility of mental health services in BIPOC communities through her work at Avail Outpatient Counseling. As founder of the Education Connection Academy (ECA) nonprofit, she has spearheaded many accomplished philanthropic projects, including creating healing spaces for hundreds of people each year in Richmond, Virginia.  Dr. Blackwell specializes in nonpharmaceutical interventions such as mindfulness and movement to heal the mind, body, and spirit. Through her gift of storytelling and dance, she has created an unparalleled connection with people worldwide. She received her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech University and M.Ed. and BA from Virginia State University, where she studied communications, literature, and leadership. A true multi-hyphenate, she shares her offerings as a licensed mental health professional, grant writer, educational consultant, and holistic health practitioner.