Duome Forms CUSO With One Washington Financial to Expand Co-Ownership Home Program Nationwide

Duome, a new concept in home affordability through co-ownership, today announced the formation of a new Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) led by One Washington Financial (OWF), the wholly-owned holding company of WSECU. The new CUSO will enable credit unions to help members achieve homeownership through Duome’s model, which co-invests up to 45% of a home’s purchase price.

‍The housing affordability crisis has priced millions of working families out of homeownership. Rising home prices, stagnant wages, and limited inventory have created a widening gap between what families earn and what homes cost. Today, nearly 80% of U.S. counties are considered unaffordable for households earning the median income. Duome addresses this by pairing a credit union originated mortgage with a nonprofit-funded co-ownership pool, enabling members to purchase homes with a significantly reduced financial burden.

‍As part of efforts to accelerate their innovation agenda, OWF and WSECU back technologies that meaningfully expand access to financial services and improve outcomes for credit union members.

“Homeownership is the primary wealth building vehicle for most American families, yet it’s increasingly out of reach for credit union members,” said Scott Daukas, Chief Partnership Officer at OWF. “Duome gives credit unions a practical, mission-aligned tool to help members get into homes they couldn’t access on their own—while generating mortgage origination volume for the institution. This CUSO is about turning the credit union promise of ‘people helping people’ into real homeownership outcomes.”

Duome’s model works by channeling capital from nonprofit impact investors into a co-ownership fund. When a credit union member is ready to purchase a home, Duome co-invests alongside the homebuyer, covering up to 45% of the purchase price. The member and Duome hold title as tenants in common, and the credit union originates the mortgage on the member’s reduced share.

“The families credit unions were built to serve are the same ones being priced out of homeownership. That's the gap between what credit unions promise and what the market allows. Until now," said Miriam Ackerman, Co-Founder of Duome. "The cooperative principle exists for exactly this moment. Partnering with OWF is how we turn that principle into homeownership, at scale.”

For participating credit unions, Duome generates new mortgage origination volume from members who would not otherwise be able to afford the home they need. The co-ownership structure means the credit union’s mortgage covers a smaller portion of the home’s value, expanding mortgage lending while maintaining prudent underwriting. The CUSO structure provides credit unions with governance participation and alignment with NCUA regulatory requirements.

About Duome

Duome is a Minneapolis-based co-ownership homeownership platform designed for credit unions. By partnering impact capital with credit union mortgage origination, Duome enables working families to achieve homeownership with equity support of up to 45% of the purchase price. The platform is built on the cooperative principle that people can accomplish together what they cannot accomplish alone. For more information, visit myduome.com.

Duome’s Co-Founders

Eric Berg and Miriam Ackerman developed Duome out of DNT BLNK, a Minneapolis-based venture studio that builds early-stage companies designed to solve real-world problems through commercially viable solutions.

Eric Berg is the founder of DNT BLNK. Since 2010, he has launched ventures across financial services, housing, philanthropy, and consumer technology, grounded in the belief that strong business models can generate meaningful social impact.

Miriam Ackerman is Chief Strategy Officer at DNT BLNK and brings more than 25 years of experience developing innovative solutions across multiple industries. In 2025, she served as interim President and CEO of NACUSO,one of the credit union industry’s leading trade associations.

Before Duome, Berg and Ackerman co-founded NetGiver,a charitable giving platform built for credit union growth, and winner of the 2020 NACUSO Next Big Idea competition.

About One Washington Financial (OWF)

One Washington Financial (OWF) is a wholly owned subsidiary of WSECU, based in Olympia, WA. OWF exists to advance financial well-being and equity for credit union members and their communities by investing in innovative, early-stage partners driving the credit union industry forward. For more information, visit owfcuso.com.